On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the Yoakum High School PALS hosted the annual DLSEC prom. This year's theme was Safari Soirée and it was evident all throughout the St. Joe Family Center where the prom was held.
The day began for the students in the high school RISE program with preparations including hair and make-up and snacks provided by the InVEST students. Several DLSEC staff members enjoy volunteering each year to help all of the students look and feel their best for the special day.
When the students arrived at the prom, they were greeted by YHS PALS dressed as many safari characters including animals, Dora the Explorer, Indiana Jones, and others and by a mini Jeep show. Seven Jeep owners brought their safari-ready Jeeps for the students to take pictures by and in. The students enjoyed hopping in the Jeeps for photos. They looked ready for a safari! Several of the Jeep owners who came are members of a local Jeep group called Lone Star Jeeps 361.
The students then entered the prom under a balloon arch orchestrated by Cindy Rodriguez and the PALS and were wowed by all the decorations. But the biggest surprise once inside was two stunningly gorgeous macaws, Simon and Chloe. The birds were the ultimate authentic decoration in our Safari Soiree! Bird owners Chloe Durbin and Michael Chomout helped the students and adults get up close and personal with the beautiful birds. When the birds were making their exit from the prom, they called back “Bye! Bye!” to everyone.
One of the annual highlights of the event is the crowning of prom royalty. This year, DLSEC does not have a girl in the senior class, so we only crowned a king. William Stock of Shiner ISD was selected by his RISE program high-school peers to represent them as this year's prom king.
The students had fun at the build-your-own safari snack mix station creating their own trail mix with options including raisins, pretzels, M & Ms, banana chips, sesame sticks, marshmallows, Animal Crackers, Golden Grahams cereal, and popcorn. One of the traditions of the DLSEC prom is a beautiful cake made by Cindy Bird of LoveBird Cakes in Victoria that is fully aligned with the theme. This year’s cake did not disappoint. It was a gorgeous cake that tasted even better than it looked! The annual cake is a collaborative donation between Cindy Bird and Dr. and Mrs. Jimmy Goodson.
You can’t have a blast a prom without lots of dancing and dance they did! They danced to everything from current hits to old classics and some safari-related songs, too. A favorite tradition at the DLSEC is the grand march! This year’s grand march was led by Kara Hairell-Speed and Patti Morales with assistance from Wendy Thamm and Carri Dicke.
For 10 years, YHS PALS have been hosting the DLSEC prom (although the prom had to be canceled in 2020 and 2021). The prom is an annual high point of the RISE high school students’ year because of the many folks who contribute to its success. We would like to thank everyone who donated time, talents, materials, and money to making this event amazing for our students.
More photos from this event will be posted on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DLSEC77995.