Although only high schoolers can get into the actual prom, members from all over the community get involved in the famous formal at Pennsbury.
Hundreds of people come out to the walk through prior to the prom, and right before prom begins, the student-made floats form a parade for anyone and everyone willing to come and see.
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Chris and Rick Rathgeb have been coming to some part of the prom for seven consecutive years. This year, they were watching their daughter, Rebecca, and their neighbor, Krysten Struck, come through on their float.
“Our daughters both went through Pennsbury. It’s like a family,” Chris explained. And the Rathgebs treat the event like they are celebrating with family too, making an effort to visit the walk through and then joining with their neighbors under their tent midway along the parade route.
The parade is great, but the Rathgeb’s favorite part is the walk through prior to the beginning of the parade. Even when they don’t have kids in the Prom, they said they would keep coming back to see the walk through every year.
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Having daughters who recently went through the prom system, the Rathgebs have an interesting take on how the whole experience impacts the students. “I think it puts a lot of stress on the kids,” Chris said. Rick said that in the weeks leading up to the prom, he wasn’t sure if they saw their daughter at all around the house due to the planning and work that goes into creating the Pennsbury Prom experience.
Even though it is a lot of work and stress for the students, the effect of the prom isn’t lost on the Rathgebs. “The whole community comes together. That’s whats so great about it,” they said.
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“This is the only place that does this,” they said. According to the couple, friends and people from outside the district consistently mention the fact that the Pennsbury Prom is amazing.
