The class of 2014 was the first eighth grade class to join Barnstable High School, and with that transition many parents who had been involved in their children’s school communities were left wondering how they could continue to volunteer. Parents Deb Nelson and Cheryl Corbett decided to volunteer for Celebration even though neither of their daughters would be in attendance and in later years have co-chaired the event.

Celebration has become an iconic event at BHS which provides students with “smart, safe and sober” post-prom fun annually. However, this event would not be possible without the efforts of Nelson, Corbett and the plethora of other volunteers. When asked how many hours they spend annually preparing for Celebration, the answer was deemed countless, but was later settled upon hundreds.

Each year, planning begins around October and ends 6 am the morning after Celebration. The prom committee decides upon a theme, and from that, the Celebration volunteer squad brings the theme to life. This year’s theme was “Around the World” and the field house was converted to a multicultural utopia. The weight room became Hawaii, the outside area behind the field house became Switzerland and the field house itself became Brazil, New York, Europe and more.

Though the production of Celebration is a taxing experience, both Nelson and Corbett agree that the overall experience is rewarding. They have both made friends through volunteers that they typically would not have known if not involved. Another aspect that Nelson and Corbett both find rewarding is when an alumna comes back to Celebration and offers to donate or volunteer for Celebration because they had such fond memories themselves.

Celebration is just one night of fun for the attendees of the event, but countless nights for the volunteers. As the class of 2014 graduates, so will Nelson and Corbett graduate from chairing the event. In their place will be Kim Glennon and Sue Derosier. Nelson and Corbett’s advice for future volunteers and chairs is to simply have fun with it; have fun making friends with other volunteers, have fun getting to know the infrastructure of the school and have fun making the senior’s prom night memorable and safe. They also advise prospective volunteers to start when their child is in the eighth grade so as to build relationships within the school their child attends and give back to the community.

The efforts of the volunteers paid off, according to senior Josiah Estabrooks, who said that “prom was a good time, but Celebration exceeded my expectations. I loved the smoothies in the tiki room but the massive bouncy slide outside takes the cake. It was a blast.” Senior Nicole Neville agreed with Estabrooks, saying “Celebration was really fun. I loved all of the different foods from around the world. There was definitely something for everyone to do.”

Nelson and Corbett would like to thank the school and the community for being so supportive throughout the years. They address that Celebration would not be possible without donations from local businesses and citizens, the countless volunteers and support from the drama club.