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icprom 120If you loved your high school prom or if you missed it you will have another chance on April 2nd.  And you don't have to be a high school senior -- the Third Annual Tompkins County Intergenerational Prom is open to all ages, and encourages everyone to come.  The prom is a joint effort between Ithaca College and Cornell university's Project Generations organizations.  

The event will include a live jazz band, dancing, light refreshments, a special guest appearance, a raffle, and the election of the prom king and queen.  The winners were over 65 in the last two proms.  A Mary Kay makeup station is made available for hair and makeup, and a photo booth.  Dates are optional.  You can come by yourself or with that special person.

"It's great because our generation has learned something," says Ithaca College Project Generations Co-President Mary Claire Hartford.  "A lot of us don't know how to swing or ballroom dance, so we get to learn."

A similar event, called the Senior Citizen Prom, was held in Hartford's home town high school in Washingtonville, NY.  She borrowed the idea and the name when she arrived as a freshman at Ithaca College.  After a year of planning the first prom was held.  The name was later changed to the Intergenerational Prom to be more inclusive.

"That way the community understands that everyone is invited," she explains.  "It's not just for senior citizens.  It promotes a more intergeneral collaboration and more people feel included."

icprom kingandqueenPhotos courtesy of Mary Claire Hartford

Project Generations pairs students with elder adults in the Tompkins County community.  The older adults may need assistance or companionship, or just want a relationship with a college-aged student.

"I really missed my Grandma when I came to school.  When you move away you don't have that direct access," Hartford says.  "You can't just go over to Grandma's to make cookies.  So I got involved in this project, and it is becoming my legacy at Ithaca College.  We wanted to hold something that says thank you to the community for letting us volunteer with you and for sharing your stories with us and our stories with you.  We want to expand that to the entire community."

Hartford was paired with a senior in her freshman year.  They became very close, and her family also embraced her when they visited, but unfortunately she passed away.  Hartford says she didn't want to feel she was replacing her 'Ithaca grandma' so she has volunteered instead at Longview's Thursday night quilting circles.

"I have a bunch of different Grandmas now,"  she says.  "That way I respected her and didn't feel I was replacing her."

About ten people form the core of students that make the prom happen.  They plan for a year, soliciting feedback from older adults and student.  The first prom, with a Spring theme, attracted 100 students and 70 senior citizens.  Last year even more people braved a rainy evening to come.  The theme was Hollywood, complete with a red carpet.  This year the theme is 'A Night In Paris' which will include an Eiffel Tower display.  Prom-goers are encouraged to dress semi-formally, but Hartford says some go all out.  She says the ladies at Longview are already planning their dresses.

icprom promroom

"You see a lot of shiny things," she says.  "A lot of glitter.  And traditionally the college-age  people come in knee-length dresses, with some in full length.  People get pretty dressed up for it."

Hartford will graduate with a physical therapy degree in the Spring, and is looking forward to a clinical internship at Beechtree this summer.

"I think this relates to my future career," she says.  "But regardless, I love doing it so it doesn't have to further my career for me to love it."

The Third Annual Tompkins County Intergenerational Prom is set for April 2, 2015 5-7:30pm in Emerson Suites at Ithaca College

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