Home > Waco Breaking News > Archives > 2009 > April > 22 > Entry
MIdway High students help Ike-devastated school have prom
Got this e-mail today from Midway ISD about something that happened last month, but this is definitely worth a shout-out. I’ll let the Midway release below explain it. You can enlarge each of the images by clicking on it and a photo caption will accompany each shot.
Midway High School is known for its over-the-top volunteerism and compassion. Six MHS students took it one step further. Seniors, Brianna Deaton, Hank DeHay, Cara Huggins, Shelby Jurek; sophomores, Beau Blackshear and Johnathan Gidney; plus sponsors Dema and Joe Moore gave up a weekend and traveled to High Island High School to help decorate for High Island’s High School prom.
Pendley Productions donated all the decorations and Larry Pendley accompanied the MHS volunteers to Beaumont where the prom took place on March 28.
High Island is near Galveston on the Bolivar Peninsula. The community was basically destroyed by Hurricane Ike. The school building did not sustain as much damage after Ike as it did after Hurricane Rita in 2006. After Rita, MHS collected enough money from students, staff and faculty to purchase the padded wall boards for High Island’s basketball gym which had been flooded.
While on Bolivar Peninsula, the MHS students were able to get a first-hand look at the devastation and speak with some of the high school students who had been affected by the hurricane. Approximately 61 percent of the students and 25 percent of the faculty are still homeless.
The group spent all Saturday decorating the Brentwood Country Club in Beaumont for the “Moonlight and Roses” High Island prom. Before the prom started the MHS boys dressed in their tuxedo shirts and bow ties and the girls wore black dresses to greet the prom attendees. The boys opened the doors and the girls helped with the refreshments and handed out the prom gift bags.
High Island students, teachers and parents who were present at the prom were amazed at the beautiful decorations. A 20-year veteran teacher of High Island said she had never seen the prom decorations as elaborate as they were this year.
The Midway consortium undecorated the prom as well and did not finish until the wee hours of Sunday morning. The MHS students revealed that they had no idea how much work the MHS teachers did for their own prom and they have a greater appreciation for the time and love the teachers put into the prom decorations.
The six wonderful “ambassadors” and Mr. and Mrs. Moore formed a bond with one another and the High Island students which will never be broken. Each student elaborated on the fun they had with the group but also expressed how hard they worked to make the best prom for the High Island students.
When asked how Mrs. Moore chose her six student ambassadors, she said, “I looked at the heart of each student and if the students followed directions well. We needed very responsible and hard workers for this event. We had so much fun with these students and they are top-notch.”
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Education
Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F
Post a comment
Before you comment, please take a few moments to make sure that what you're saying is civil and respectful. We don't tolerate personal attacks, insults, name-calling, impersonations or generally hateful comments — they don't make for a pleasant (or productive) conversation. We want to raise the level of debate and encourage a wide diversity of viewpoints — and that means disagreeing without being disagreeable. If you wouldn't say it to your grandmother, you probably shouldn't say it here.
Your comment will be removed from WacoTrib.com if it runs afoul of these guidelines or anything else in our site's visitor agreement.
*HTML not allowed in comments. Your e-mail address is required.
Comments
By proud Texas
April 22, 2009 2:54 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
This is great! Have not heard one word more about what is going on down there or of any celebrity or news people helping or keeping up with the help those people need down there. Midway, we are proud of you!
By Anita Pursley
May 8, 2009 2:32 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
I just read this article and would like to add that the group of Midway students were really incredible. I was the junior class sponsor at High Island this year, and their attitudes and hard work were such a wonderful example of young people giving to others. I was amazed as I saw them working so hard and dilgently for others. It was a true blessing to our entire student body and Mr. and Mrs. Moore are to be commended for their leadership.