Features Reporter
Photos by Jordan Hoyle
Prom is arguably the most important experience of high school.
From popping the question to your date in the most outrageous way possible to getting the best tuxedo/dress, to the sweaty cesspool that is the dance floor, those who attended will always remember the extravagant pageantry of prom. Last Friday, Sabrosa Restaurante re-created the life benchmark while successfully bypassing the worst aspect of prom: high school.
Big Kid Prom was a unique event created by the non-profit organization Sustainable Roots as a way to raise funds for its future projects. Grand Junction community members of all ages, sexes and sexual preferences met downtown at 5th and Main for a night of dancing, drinks and celebration without the pestering chaperones or late-night curfews.
Sustainable Roots founder and Mesa State College alumnus Toni Walters supported the idea from the beginning and is pleased with its success over the years.
“It got its start from a couple of girls in Grand Junction who wanted to put on a prom event,” Walters said. “They approached me with the idea of making it a benefit for Sustainable Roots, and, of course, I accepted. It has been a fun fundraiser, and we love having it as an annual event.”
For $10, patrons were treated to a live DJ, open dance floor, photo station and a full bar complete with spiked fruit punch that would make any high school principal cringe. The men were in their finest tuxedoes, the ladies were in elegant dresses, and some even decided to flip roles and do the opposite, but all were welcome on the dance floor.
The organization responsible for Big Kid Prom, Sustainable Roots, was founded by Walters after she befriended a group of people from various backgrounds who shared a common goal of promoting sustainable living. Walters, biologist Ryan Lynch, artist Pamela Goldhagen, researcher Dr. Genoveva Rodriguez-Castaneda, and biologist Andrew Townsend teamed up in the community of Cosanga, Ecuador, and began a variety of different projects in the area. Their work includes educational programs, greenhouses for organic produce and trips that allow students to travel and see different areas of South America.
Now in its third year, Big Kid Prom has been a significant contributor to Sustainable Roots in helping the organization finance more projects in Ecuador.
“We know we can count on the money we raise at Big Kid prom to be a substantial part of our funds,” Walters said. “Sometimes I consider even five dollars a major contribution, but last year we pulled in $800, and this year we upped it to $1,000, which is 10 percent of our yearly budget.”
Sustainable Roots will continue the Big Kid Prom in Grand Junction each year and is also hoping to add another event in Denver.
mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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