By Matt Spencer
Last week’s Rent-a-Senior fundraiser generated enough donations to purchase seven prom tickets for students in need.
Senior participant Meg Tousey Wyatt stated, “I didn’t mind going to Rocky’s and helping write an essay for the student who rented me [because it was for a good cause].”
Despite the success of the fundraiser, some participants were left disappointed, because the seniors they rented did not follow through on their commitment. According to librarian Ms. Molloy, Sam Farman, a senior who she rented, decided to skip out on his responsibilities. Instances like these shed negative light on the otherwise positive community event.
To participate in this event students paid three dollars for one ticket and ten dollars for four tickets. The drawing was held Friday, and the students and faculty whose tickets were chosen in the raffle were assigned a senior helper.
Some students decided to make extreme requests. Sophomore Ian Reilly requested his senior to get him a Papaya King in NYC, for example.
Although prom season is an exciting time for many students, the dresses, tuxedos, flowers and the tickets make this exciting time of year unbearably expensive for some. Prom is a high school event that current seniors Drew Schieffelin and Hope Fourie think all students should experience, so they organized the fundraiser. The issue is personal for Fourie as some of her friends do not have the funds to attend prom.
The senior community, lead by Schieffelin and Fourie, came together and 42 seniors rented themselves out for a day. These seniors were commanded by the students that “won” them in a raffle. The tasks seniors were asked to do included going on Starbucks and other food runs, carrying backpacks, and doing the student’s homework.
The Irvington High School prom will be held at Westchester Manor in Hastings on June 4, 2015.
