DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY
Get ready for an unforgettable night at the Summit Area YMCA’s upcoming event, 2024 Extra Special Prom, happening Thursday, May 30. This year’s event promises to be even more magical than the last. The 2024 Extra Special Prom is sponsored in partnership with the Summit Elks Lodge #1246.
Event Details:
2024 EXTRA SPECIAL PROM
Date: Thursday, May 30, 2024
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Berkeley Heights YMCA
2024 Extra Special Prom
The Extra Special Prom is set to take place on May 30, 2024. The prom is open to special needs teens and young adults and their families from surrounding areas in New Jersey. Last year’s “An Extra Special Prom: Cinco de Mayo” event was a huge success, with over 60 special needs teens and young adults and their families from surrounding areas in New Jersey joining the festivities, as well as over 140 volunteers.
Guests were treated like royalty from the moment they arrived, with corsages and boutonnieres provided by Anything Floral, and crowns and tiaras bestowed upon them as they walked the red carpet with their entourage. Inside, the gymnasium was transformed into a magical wonderland by Taylor Rentals and Balloon Design Studios, and guests danced the night away to the upbeat music provided by local DJ, Thoro.
This year’s Extra Special Prom event promises to be just as unforgettable. With a new theme and a fresh take on the event, the Summit Area YMCA is committed to providing a safe, welcoming place for families with special needs children to come and have fun together. Don’t miss out on this extra special night. Grab your best dress or suit and join us on May 30, 2024, for a night filled with music, dancing, and memories that will last a lifetime.
REGISTRATION
Registration is required for all event participants and attendees, including students, parents, and guardians. Please RSVP for the event below before May 16. A parent/guardian is required to complete the student registration form.
We’re so happy to host this fun night for our teens but we believe as parents and guardians you deserve some fun too and are invited to relax and enjoy dinner at the Y in a separate space from the student’s activities. After 8:00 PM, all parents and guardians are welcome to join the dance floor!
Registration link for parents will be emailed to all registered participants.
Volunteer Opportunities
The Summit Area YMCA has an exciting volunteer opportunity for community members to participate in An Extra Special Prom: Galaxy Gala! And we need YOU to help us make this night extra special for our attendees.
Job roles include:
• Check-in process
• Monitoring the dance floor and other rooms
• Event photography
• Providing companionship for party-goers
• Greeters and servers
• Quiet room attendant
• Pre and post-event setup and/or take down
• Help make a memorable night for a wonderful group of people!
Please fill out the Volunteer Application Form first:
and then choose your volunteer position here:
CONTACT:
Student Registration
MARY GRACE MCCANN
Program Coordinator
SUMMIT AREA YMCA
marygrace.mccann@thesay.org
908-273-3330 Ext. 1161
Volunteer Registration
TIFFANY ESCOTT
Director of Mission Advancement
SUMMIT AREA YMCA
tiffany.escott@thesay.org
908-738-2141
SPECIAL NEEDS PROGRAMS
The success of our Fridays in Motion program at the Berkeley Heights YMCA and Summit YMCA, a free recreational and social event held monthly to engage special needs youth through games, swimming, sports, arts, crafts, and pet therapy visits, has paved the way for the Summit Area YMCA to expand its special needs programming. Participants can enjoy a variety of activities that promote health, wellness, creative enrichment, socialization, and more in the name of our mission to encourage, help, build, and strengthen healthy physical activity, confidence, social skills, and more in all.
While simple in concept, the program itself filled a gap within the community that families with special needs children often faced—a lack of safe spaces, places, and things to do with their children.
“It might not seem like much to some,” said Paul Kieltyka, President and CEO of the Summit YMCA, “but for others, especially families with special needs children, having a safe, welcoming place to bring their kids to have fun means a lot. Some children—might be affected by loud noises, certain colors, and smells. They might have trouble communicating. It could be any number of things, but certain families can’t just up and go somewhere else for vacation with their kids like other families can. And that’s where the Y comes in. Come here, have fun together, make friends, and enjoy the pool. We’re providing a space for people to relax, connect, and be happy. It’s wonderful.”
As a member of the Diversity, Inclusion and Global Innovation Network, the Summit Area YMCA is committed to bridge-building and encouraging a welcoming atmosphere within the community. The Y is made up of people from all walks of life who are joined together by a shared commitment to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Supporting families and the community in their efforts to spread awareness, appreciation for diversity and a sense of inclusivity for everyone in the community is core to the Y’s mission to help every individual reach their highest potential.
