This weekend has not really held all that much to do on the calendar. My youngest is off on a scout camping trip and will bring home the prerequisite load and a half of laundry. My oldest at home is working all day today and was scheduled to work all day yesterday. The 16 year old insisted we practice for the parent/player tennis tournament which is tomorrow.

The true exhaustion, though, occured on Friday night. I was a volunteer at our high school’s annual drug and alcohol free after prom party. To prevent problems that can occur, we have a committee that throws a free party from midnight to 5:30 am after the prom. You are not allowed in after 2 am – I think that is the time – and definitely not if you are inebriated. The kids love it and out of a class of 195, we had around 130 show up for the party which is held at the high school.

Now you may wonder what could possibly be available at the building they are dying to get out of that would make kids come to the after prom party so here goes. Every senior that comes gets tickets for raffles. This year there was a car donated by a local dealership that was raffled off in the 5 am hour and you have to be present to win. But other than the big raffle, there were ten smaller raffles that you, if you were a member of the senior class, received tickets to bid on and a name was drawn about 5 also. These big items, but not car-sized, included dorm-sized fridges, a personal DVD player, a computer (I didn’t see one this year but know that this has been an item in the past), cash. Then, throughout the night, each senior wins at least on prize just for being there – a Brita pitcher, a gas card, gift cards to many stores, a fold-up chair, a floor lamp. There were prizes for everyone.

Then, there was the entertainment. We always have a casino tent where you can win prizes. There is a roulette wheel and card tables. There is a games section where you can win everything from cash to small little prizes. And, the big ticket entertainment, we hired a hypnotist. The man does a wonderful job with about 15 students being hypnotized. It was so funny, I nearly cried laughing so much.

And a photographer. His night starts about 5 pm at what is called the promenade. Each couple is introduced as they walk across the high school stage and poses for pictures. This is parents’ and families’ chance to take pics of the kids and the after prom party has a photographer who is here and also takes pics on his digital camera. He, then, goes to the prom and takes shots also. These are all taken to a one-hour development place (WalMart) so the kids can pick up the pics at the party with no charge to the kids. Then, the photographer continues at the after prom party, letting kids see all the shots he has and printing off those that people want.

And food…I cannot forget that there is food. Fruit skewers, chicken wings, shrimp cocktail, soda, water, subs, chips….it is amazing that with a lot of small schools in the area, a party like this is supported by the community. Not only do local merchants support the event, but the volunteers that spend a year planning and those, like myself, that show up to work it help assure the senior class they can celebrate their upcoming graduation without incidents.

Anyway, I am still, though I seem to keep waking up at 6 am, exhausted from being up all night Friday night.