Senior prom. A time to get dressed up, spend time with friends, and crown the prom king and queen. Sounds pretty typical, right? But, instead of seniors in high school, it’s senior citizens hitting the dance floor.
The Rotary Club of Tillamook hosted their annual Senior Citizen Prom event on Oct. 26 at the Tillamook County Elks Lodge. This year’s theme was Halloween with many guests attending dressed in their favorite costumes. The afternoon consisted of themed photo booths, lunch, dancing, and crowning of the best costume and prom king and queen.
Helping with logistics for the event was Tillamook High School senior Stella Hurliman.
“Growing up, I have been really heavily involved in community service,” she said. “I grew up helping out with my dad at events. As I got older, I realized that I really like planning stuff. I have a connection with a lot of the people that show up annually and I wanted to give them something because they've always been there for me.”
Hurliman decided that she wanted to incorporate her senior project into the event; working on decorations and marketing.
“It just brings me so much joy and I know it does a lot of good for the community,” she said. “My dad [Brett Hurliman] told me that one year there were these neighbors that were split up because they both went to different [senior] homes. They hadn't seen each other for years and then they reconnected at the senior citizen prom. That is just the purest thing you've ever heard in your entire life.”
While several generations separate Hurliman from the event’s attendees, she said she enjoys the conversations.
“I really want to socialize with everybody,” she said. “Their generation and my generation is very different. So, I had a list of questions to ask to get to know people like: ‘What was your favorite TV show growing up?’”
Hurliman’s work to give back to the community doesn’t stop with her senior project. She’s been a Tillamook High School Charity Drive chairperson for four years. She also participates in dance, basketball, and is Tillamook High School’s ASB vice president.
Looking to next year, Hurliman hopes to move somewhere warmer than Oregon with the goal of majoring in human development and family studies.
“I really want to be a child life specialist, which is for pediatric patients.”
For more information about the Rotary Club of Tillamook, visit: tillamookrotary.com.
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