Wunsche High School's special prom night growing
SPRING, TX (KTRK) -- March is not your typical prom season, but we're not talking about your typical prom at Wunsche High School in Spring. The special prom night is set for Friday, March 6.
For more than ten years, the school has sponsored a prom for the district's special needs students. About 40 people attended in the first few years. Now the invitation list numbers 200.
The event runs on volunteers and most of them are students. Of those, most are in a club called HOSA/Future Health Professionals.
"We're preparing for the medical field, which means we want to help people," says Megan Ngai, who wants to specialize in internal medicine.
Helping with the prom means creating invitations, and creating the backdrop for this year's theme -- superheroes. On Thursday, they were finishing cardboard cut-outs to set the scene.
Each student volunteer group picks a different group of superhero figures to create- Some are going with Batman, others Avengers. Last year's theme was Disney World.
It's an event to which special needs students like Andrea Rodriguez look forward all year. Her father, Adam Rodriguez, says she will start counting down the hours and minutes, not wanting to be late on prom night.
"What makes it special is the way all these volunteer kids treat the special needs kids. And that's very special," said Rodriguez.
To make it more special, volunteer Tracy Chea set up a go fund me account. The goal is to raise $3,500. So far, only $500 has been pledged. The money would rent a real superhero mascot suit, hire and d-j, provide food and "nice" costumes for the volunteers to wear on the night of the event.
Rodriguez echoes what most parents of the special needs guests for whom the prom is intended. On that night, he says, "she's just a normal girl. And that's beautiful, just beautiful."
