Nonprofit holds Prom Night for people with disabilities

It was her first dance, ever.

So to get ready, Kathy Welch wanted to look her best.

She shopped all over Seattle to find the perfect outfit – a tea-length, velvet dress in a rich, warm burgundy. She got her hair cut – a 1970s wedge a la Dorothy Hamill.

And to finish the look, she arrived early Saturday evening at Prairie View Elementary School to get her nails done, her hair styled and her face made up by professional cosmetologists.

“I’m kind of nervous,” said the 47-year-old as she scanned a table covered with bottles of nail polish, tubes of foundation and other cosmetic products. “This is my first time.”

Welch was among 70 people who took part in Prom Night, a formal dance organized for the second year in a row by Specialized Needs Recreation, a nonprofit that provides recreational opportunities for youths and adults with disabilities.

Participants from throughout Kootenai County and as far as Sandpoint gathered in the school’s cafeteria wearing suits and ties, elegant evening gowns and other fancy garb – ready to get down to the music.

Some, like Welch, arrived early for a makeover.

“You have a nice haircut,” Vicki Cruz, one of the volunteer cosmetologists, told Welch as she used a curling iron to style her hair.

“Thank you, ma’am,” said Welch, who recently moved to town from Texas. “It’s like Dorothy Hamill’s. I’m getting my makeup done, too.”

“The makeup won’t help much because you’re already beautiful,” Cruz said with a smile.

Just like the high school prom, many of the participants arrived with dates, got their photos taken with friends and danced to DJ-led music in a room filled with streamers, balloons and other decorations.

Five couples, accompanied by volunteers, rode to the prom in a white limousine after having dinner at Denny’s.

“A lot of people never get to go to their prom at school, so this is an exciting time,” said Angie Goucher, executive director of Specialized Needs Recreation.

Colleen Sullivan, 30, was especially excited about this year’s dance.

She not only had a date, said her mother, Maxine Sullivan, but the two also had plans to go out for pizza with Colleen’s brother and his friend once the dance ended at 9 p.m. While picking out colors for her nails and makeup, Colleen Sullivan wanted to make sure everything matched her outfit – a sleeveless black dress with a velveteen top and short chiffon skirt.

“Now, for the best part,” hair stylist Heather Huber said, after curling Colleen’s hair and arranging it in an up-do with bobby pins. “You get sparkles! Do you want sparkles?”

“Is the pope Catholic?” Maxine Sullivan joked as Colleen replied with an excited “Yes!”

Prom Night is one of dozens of activities offered annually by Specialized Needs Recreation, an organization that was founded more than 20 years ago.

Each month, the nonprofit provides about five to 10 events including pizza and movie nights, bingo games, and trips to the Spokane Arena. It also offers day camps and after-school programs.

“We’re just trying to enhance their lives by offering things people often take for granted,” said Goucher, who has led the organization for eight years.

Last year, the organization served about 3,000 people in North Idaho. It has an annual budget of less than $100,000, so the program relies heavily on volunteers.

“The best part is being with friends,” said Marilee Hagele, who arrived early for a makeover wearing a black dress with gold sequins. “It gives me something to do, and it gets me out of the house.

“Who wants to watch TV when you have a prom to go to?”