By MARC BEJA
An hour later, when the prom had ended, they were already back at home, getting ready for another party.
Most partygoers donned a second outfit for the post-prom event, Dawn Delirium. Girls changed from their ball gowns into more comfortable and revealing club attire, and the boys ditched their bow ties and vests for short-sleeved shirts and jeans.
³I think I spent around $1,000 between the limo, the hair, the makeup, the prom dress, the Dawn Delirium dress, two different pairs of shoes, the prom tickets and everything,² graduate Farah Brook said.
For many students, the after-party is more exciting and important than the prom itself. The party was held at the new Warehouse5 nightclub, next to the Bridgeview Yacht Club in Island Park, where students could dance without the watchful eyes of the prom¹s video cameras and teacher and school administration chaperones.
³Prom was good, but I think [Dawn Delirium] will be better, though ‹ it seems like a lot of fun,² one guest, David Lurie, said as he entered the club.
This was the 17th year for the non-alcoholic post-prom party, which hosted seniors from midnight until dawn, during which a brand new Ford Focus was raffled off to OHS graduate Stacey Hertz. In addition to the car, the PTA also awarded more than 140 prizes, kicking off the giveaways with a 26-inch flat-screen television, which was won by senior Benjamin Ballot at 1 a.m.
Dawn Delirium isn¹t limited to students who attend the prom‹any graduating senior is invited to attend with a guest. ³I didn¹t go to prom because I felt it was a waste of money, when I could just come here, eat more, hang out with my friends, have a good time and maybe win a car,² said graduate Jeffrey Palmeiro.
The Dawn Delirium Committee, led by PTA President Brigitte Misitano and school board Trustee Sandie Schoell, raised money with a fashion show, weekly bake sales and donations from the community. The event cost the PTA between $28,000 and $30,000.
The sale of ³Adopt-a-Senior² tickets, at $5 apiece, covered the cost of the car: By the night of the prom, $13,800 had been collected. An extra ticket for the car raffle was given to every senior who arrived before 1 a.m., as added incentive to come directly from the prom to the party, and to steer clear of drinking in between. The tickets for the other raffles were free, given to students when they entered. In order to be eligible to receive a prize, a student had to be present, and anyone who left was not permitted back in.
Although members of the PTA organized the event, parents of the graduates were not allowed to stay for the party, so students could feel more at ease. Five high school security guards were on duty, in addition to bouncers hired by Bridgeview, who were stationed throughout the club and at the entrance, checking to make sure no students brought in any alcohol. More than 600 students attended the prom, and only four were sent home from the party.
While some graduates admitted to drinking alcohol in between the prom and the party, there were few problems reported. ³Everything went very smooth ‹ we had no incidents,² Misitano said.
³It keeps the kids here and not out drinking,² Bridgeview manager Eric Strauss said. ³And Warehouse5 gives them more of a club atmosphere and more room to dance than Bridgeview did.²
In recent years, the party has been held at Bridgeview. Both clubs are owned by John Vitale of East Atlantic Beach.
Dawn Delirium was founded 17 years ago by the Drug and Alcohol Awareness Council in Oceanside, spearheaded by five parents and administrators, in conjunction with another program titled ³Safe Homes.² That program included a booklet that parents signed stating that their homes were safe to hold non-alcoholic, chaperoned post-prom house parties. Some parents, however, were signing the contract and not upholding their end of the agreement, and the program ended shortly thereafter. But Dawn Delirium has lived on.
³It¹s nice for me to be finishing off with my last child now, and knowing that we were able to do something right 17 years ago,² said Darlene Sperico, a mother of four and one of Dawn Delirium¹s founders. ³And it¹s nice to know that our kids are safe.²
Steinberg¹s Bakery, Pastosa, Boswells, Pathmark, Subway, Farmer Joel¹s, Pantera, Oceanside Jewish Center, Lawson Deli and Moe¹s were among the businesses that contributed refreshments for the party.
³A lot of people donated because of Susan Dauber,² Schoell said. Dauber led the Dawn Delirium Committee for five years, recruiting more contributors, expanding it and raising more prizes, money and food, before she was killed in a car accident last year. ³Balloons Unlimited donated the balloon decorations and the DJ because they were so close to Susan,² Schoell said. ³We just continue now in Susan¹s spirit.²
³The night was an absolute success, and we look forward to doing it next year,² Misitano said. ³In my opinion, it was a success because all of the kids had fun and got home in the morning safe.²
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