By Mary O’KEEFE

The organizers of Prom Plus had announced earlier this year that this would be the last Prom Plus event because no one was willing to step up and join the board; however, a few people have reached out with their desire to continue this all-important organization that has been “saving lives one prom at a time” for three decades.

In 1991, Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS) senior Berlyn Cosman was 17 years old. She asked her dad if she could go to an after-prom party that was being held at a hotel in Anaheim. In her father’s book “A Father’s Unraveling: Reflections from Prom Night’s Tragedy” Mark Cosman wrote the request was something he and his wife thought about before saying yes. He had stated that his daughter had worked hard and he thought she had never before asked for anything like this and her parents said yes.

After the CVHS prom, a group of friends, including Berlyn, arrived at the hotel. At one point, according to reports at the time, she decided to go to the “sleep room” while others continued to party. While she slept a former CVHS student entered the room with a gun and fatally shot Berlyn. The former 19-year-old student, who was convicted, reportedly admitted to investigators to being drunk.

The following trial tore the community apart and was constantly painful for Berlyn’s family. It was during this time that members of the community began a grassroots non-profit organization called Prom Plus. They wanted to give CVHS high school seniors and their guests an alternative to an unsupervised after-prom party.

The first Prom Plus was in 1994, held at the then-empty Anderson Clark Junior High School. Since that first event, Prom Plus has continued to offer a safe place for students post-prom and has expanded the event to a party that costs $25,000 and features a zip line, mechanical bull, full casino, bungee run, bungee jump and many more activities. The event also feeds the students throughout the night and offers an opportunity drawing.

Like most organizations, Prom Plus was affected by the pandemic. Board members stepped down and even after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted it was difficult to get volunteers to join.

Therefore after the May 2024 prom, the organization’s board was ready to step away and, unfortunately, was prepared to end Prom Plus.

Since that announcement students had contacted Prom Plus leadership to share their hope that the Prom Plus Club (PPC), which has been the youth volunteer arm for the main organization since it was founded about 14 years ago, would continue. The students, along with mentor and PPC co-founder Molly Shelton, have continued to volunteer at events like the Hometown Country Fair and the CV Fourth of July.

Adults have also contacted Shelton to ask her how they could get involved with Prom Plus and keep it going. A planning meeting has now been set for Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Fire House youth center, 2563 Foothill Blvd. on the property of St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church.

“This meeting is for the parents and community members who have expressed interest in carrying forward Prom Plus. As the board of the past few decades is stepping away, the organization is reliant on the next generation of parents to survive and grow,” Shelton said.

The response from parents has been uplifting as no one wants to see this important institution end. Anyone who has yet to contact Shelton but is interested in helping support Prom Plus is welcome at the meeting.

“As a supporter of Prom Plus for so many years, I am elated to see the support of these parents to step up and help. I am constantly thinking about what would happen if the organization truly had to shut its doors … all the work the previous board put in to build the organization … what that would mean for the students who already have been impacted by so much societal stress and a global pandemic while in school,” Shelton said. “Prom Plus is the last celebration that parents get to throw for their kids before they have to face the world alone. I can’t wait to see how Prom Plus changes and grows to continue that mission of keeping our students safe.”