Joyce Melvin arrives with a hand from driver Patrick Ramsey.Photo:Jamey Simpson
Jamey Simpson
Giving new meaning to the words “senior prom,” the Atrium Senior Living Community in Owing Mills, Maryland, threw a prom for its residents, complete with a limo, red carpet and makeovers for the attendees.
The event, which took place on May 16, was a hit with its elderly residents — some of whom had never been to a prom before —who turned up in their finest evening wear and danced the night away.
One participant, Joyce Melvin, had not attended her own prom, and 60 years after her graduation, she was able to go with her husband.
“The special thing that my husband did was to walk," Melvin, 82, told PEOPLE of their romantic date night. “He is 94 years old, and escorting me to the prom on his own and dancing with me like we were lovers and in love and all of that, that was very special to me.”
Melvin’s family helped participate in the big night; her daughter, who who is in her 60s, joined the glam squad to make her mom’s night special.
“By the time she got involved, it was like, ‘Oh, wow, I’m going to a prom, and my daughter’s helping me comb my hair or following the directions of the hairstylist here,’ ” Melvin said.
Louis Michaelson and Joan Fastow en route to prom.Jamey Simpson
She explained how it “wasn’t too long ago” that the residents had to be isolated in their rooms and eating alone due to the pandemic, so giving them an excuse to get dressed up and come together was important to her.
“It’s important to look forward to something for these residents. It’s something fun, something special, something that’s out of the ordinary,” Schreier, 36, said.
“The residents that are maybe a little bit more timid, they were able to come out and enjoy themselves and have a glass of wine or dance with a song,” she added. “Those little moments were really special to me.”
Other traditional prom elements leading up to the event occurred as well, including “promposals” and dress shopping. One of the residents, Ray Pitz, asked another, Claudette “Cookie” Cook-Womack, to prom with a sign that read “Don’t Make Me Crumble,” an ode to her nickname.
Ray Pitz’s ‘promposal’ to Claudette “Cookie” Cook-Womack.Christopher Prosser
Christopher Prosser
Pitz wasn’t the only one dancing; many residents were on their feet for much of the night. For Melvin, that was the most joyous part of it all.
“To see everyone get dressed up and maybe even pull some of the dresses out that they never thought they would have a reason to get in again, and to see them dancing and to feel the high level of energy and to feel the joy and the excitement — it was fantastic,” she said.
“We should have more dancing, more music, more putting on those dresses that no longer fit!” Melvin concluded.
source: people.com
