450 Prom-Goers Expected at DHS 9th Annual After Party

The hours following prom have long caused concern and safety issues as revved up teens look for something exciting to do and a place to be late at night following the dance. The answer to that challenge at Deerfield High School (DHS) has become the incredibly successful After Party, attended by more than 95% of all DHS prom-goers – a whopping 450 teens – and even more expected for the May 14, 2016 event.

After a slow start in 2009, the DHS After Party has now grown to become the go-to affair for DHS prom attendees. Lasting until 3:00 am, the massive event, held each year at the Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield, keeps the kids occupied and entertained from the moment the luxury buses take them to and bring them from the downtown prom event to the party at midnight. There is no charge for this substance-free, celebration for DHS seniors and their prom dates. Seniors not attending prom are also welcome. Attendees check in by midnight and remain at the celebration until 3:00 am.

How did the party concept begin? According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, on a typical prom weekend, 48 American teenagers will be killed in vehicle crashes; 5,202 American teenagers will be injured; and 40% of the deaths will be alcohol-related. In 2008, DHS parents became frustrated with prom, as it started to become a weekend-long party with cabin rentals, weekends away, and other unsupervised activities. “Kids were getting done at midnight and going out afterwards and getting into trouble. Prom night was getting longer and more worrisome,” said DHS Activities Director and longtime Prom Co-Coordinator Brian Verisario. After a fatal post-prom car crash in Deerfield several years ago, concerned parents undertook the monumental task of creating a post-prom party worthy of attendance by finicky north shore teens. Enter the After Party 2008. “The mission of the party was to have safe place for kids to go after prom. DHS’s prom is always in city, so kids would get in their cars and drive to lake houses from there. It was a detriment to their safety,” said original party chair, Sue Beauseigneur.

Getting the kids rallied around the party was a challenge. Organizers say they got the kids on board with the party through substantial prizes like big-screen TVs, Lollapalooza tickets, gift cards, and dorm gear; phenomenal entertainment including a casino, inflatables, character artists, a DJ, sports tournaments and more; an abundance of food from all the popular vendors; mandatory bus transportation to and from the downtown prom event that picks up and drops off from the Sachs Recreation Center; and most importantly community and parental support. “When we moved the After Party from the high school to Sachs, we saw it as an opportunity to require the kids to take the busses if they wanted to go to prom downtown. Since that requirement, combined with the downturn in the economy at the time, the party really started taking off,” said Verisario. “It took a while for parents to get on board, but after they did, it made all the difference in the world as far as the party’s attendance.” And community support for the event has been phenomenal with more than $20,000 being donated by the community and vendors each year, greatly adding to its success.