Frustrated by Covid canceling prom, Grafton High parents organize their own

COVID-19 was supposed to block the Grafton High School Class of 2021 from ever having a prom.

Gowns were wistfully tucked away for their junior year as the pandemic raged and all classes became virtual. Earlier this year, Principal Jim Pignataro broke the more news: indoor restrictions would also prevent this year’s prom.

“The district is not sponsoring prom as a result of DESE guidance,” Superintendent of Schools Jay Cummings said Tuesday. “DESE guidance calls for any proms to be held when school is out for everyone and when most students have been vaccinated.  The short time frame and the fact that most students have not been vaccinated led to us unfortunately not being able to sponsor a prom this year.”

That’s when GHS Bon Voyage, which traditionally creates the all-night after-graduation party, and town committee Together We Can decided to take a page out of “Footloose.” If the school wasn’t going to hold a prom, they reasoned, why not hold their own?

“Bon Voyage is organizing a prom and it is not a school sponsored event,” confirmed Tracy Wood of GHS Bon Voyage.

Welcome to Prom Voyage, which will be held Wednesday, June 2 at Blissful Meadows Country Club in Uxbridge. The event is only for seniors, who are also mandated to ride to and from Uxbridge in buses arranged for that purpose.

Since it is not officially a school-sponsored event, students may buy tickets May 5, 12, and 19 and May 8, 15, and 22 right next door at Grafton Community Television’s 26 Providence Road studio.

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