A WORTHY CELEBRATION

Some of the seniors have been talking about it since the first day of school.

Others have been impatiently waiting since their freshman and sophomore year in school.

Wednesday was the annual special needs prom for Rutherford County Schools. This year’s prom took place today at the Smyrna Event Center.

More than 100 students from eight schools – Blackman, LaVergne, Oakland, Riverdale, Siegel, Smyrna and Stewarts Creek – attended the 11th annual prom, which first began at Siegel High School in 2007.

The first special needs prom was the idea of a peer tutor.

“From there it has bloomed into a Rutherford County special needs prom,” said Sally Green, a special education instructor at Siegel.

There were 188 attendees, including peers and teachers, invited to this year’s prom, Green said.

Everything is furnished for the students, including prom dresses, tuxes, cosmetology services, lunch and a DJ playing music for those on the dance floor.

“We have to make some of the kids stop and eat,” Green said. “They’ll spend the whole time on the dancefloor.”

Smyrna Event Center, RJ’s Party Animals of Tennessee, Street Tuxedo, Hair Five O, Jo’s Custom Cakes and Catering along with MidSouth Mobil DJs donated their time and services in making this year’s prom a possibility.