Prom Predicament: Five Local High Schools Schedule Prom on Same Day

By Molly Kelleher

Story
Video

Summary

Story Published: Mar 4, 2010 at 8:44 PM PST

Prom Predicament: Five Local High Schools Schedule Prom on Same Day

TRI-CITIES - Circle your calendar, there's one date you won't be able to get a seat at local restaurants. Action News discovered five local high schools picked the same day for prom -- and businesses are worried.

Gary Miller can see into the future. He knows he's going to get slammed with tux orders some time soon. He knows because, every year he calls all the local high schools to find out when prom is and this year was different.

"Two or three is usually average. We had six at once and that was really a workout," said Miller.

Well Gary, get ready for another workout because this year five schools picked the same day for prom.

Pasco, Kamiakin, Southridge, Richland and River View high schools are all holding their proms on Saturday, May 8th.

"I don't like it. it's not fair to the kids or to us. We do everything to make their day perfect," said Janet Marcum, owner of Buds and Blossoms Too.

Marcum has been through this before, five or six years ago.

"It will mean long work hours, last time I did this I worked 72 hours straight with no sleep," said Marcum.

To add to her stress, Mother's Day also falls on that weekend, one of the busiest days of the year for florists.

Desert Wave Limos expects to lose about $5,000 because of this.

"Unfortunately we will lose business over this and a lot of kids will go without," said Kim Jones, owner of Desert Wave Limos.

Jones owns six limos and he usually sells out when there's just two schools with prom, let alone six. All three business owners say it would have been nice to spread out the business.

"We've contacted the schools. And it's sports events and meetings scheduling around that. That's how this happens," said Marcum.

Now that you've been warned, their advice is to plan way ahead.