The Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone is hosting the 4th Annual Joy Prom on Apr. 1 from 1:00-4:30 p.m. in the worship center at the church.The event is a celebration for the simple joys in life; the ABF rolls out a red carpet for the teens and adults in the area with special needs.
“We just wanted to celebrate people with disabilities,” Ronny Wright, the event coordinator, said. “We wanted to do something special for them and their families.”
Wright, and his wife Anne Margaret, have three children of their own with down syndrome. They run a special needs ministry through the Alliance Bible Fellowship, and they have coordinated the Joy Prom each year since it first came to the High Country.
“We have a variety of things, such as the home group for people with disabilities,” Wright said. “We wanted to be a blessing for these families, and we thought this event would help achieve that.”
As guests of all ages arrive, they will experience the true red carpet experience with complimentary tiaras or boutonnieres, shoe shinings, hair and makeup stations, a walk on the red carpet and, best of all, a night full of joyous dancing.
“The night turns into a fun time where they can just feel special and celebrated,” Wright said.
The Wrights and AFB Church know that each guest should be treated with the respect, attention and kindness that they deserve, and it is dedicated to making sure that that happens at this event.
The Joy Prom has grown in popularity since it was first introduced, and it is expected to reach its max capacity this year with 175 participants, a whopping 115 more than were present at last year’s event. Along with this, each guest is allowed to bring a date, and there is a one-to-one volunteer ratio, meaning that the entire event is likely to bring in 600 people.
Numerous organizations make this event possible in the High Country, including things such as music, food and so much more.
“It’s a community event, and we have about 20 or so community organizations helping out, such as the ASU women’s soccer, field hockey and basketball,” Wright said. “There are also 20-30 restaurants around town that are helping out.”
Catering for the event is being provided by Green Street Catering, an organization that supplies meals for low-income families and a variety of people throughout the High Country.
According to Wright, there has been an outflow of community love and support surrounding this event.
“There have been so many groups that want to help out and are excited about it. The cooperation between them is so important,” Wright said. “It’s so exciting. We are definitely looking forward to this weekend.”
The theme for this year’s Joy Prom is “Around the World” and there will be several stations decorated to include a variety of cultures, such as Africa and India.
“It’s our privilege to be able to host this event; we are so thrilled with the amount of community involvement,” Wright said. “We hope that everybody is really blessed by this event and really experiences the love of joy of God and people in the High Country.”