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All juniors and seniors are eligible to attend prom. Sophomores may attend by invitation from a junior or senior.

The grand march will be held in the high school gymnasium, starting at 6 p.m. Admittance is free for parents of attendees, but admission will be charged for others.

The grand march needs to be held in the gym because a seating capacity of 900 to 1,000 is needed, said Pat Nelson, prom advisor along with Colleen Pelton. "We'd love to have it in the auditorium but we don't want to turn people away," Nelson said.

Once again, valet parking for prom goers arriving at school will be provided by the school staff.

After the grand march, prom goers will have a dinner and dance at Northern Lights Dining and Lounge. A buffet dinner will be served, starting around 7 p.m.

A dance will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight with the band, The Classics.

Professional pictures of prom goers will also be taken at Northern Lights.

The theme for prom this year is "Dancing in the Dark."

Prom costs - dinner, dance, and advisor - is paid through fund raising by the junior class. Members of the prom committee included: juniors Kayla Hemingson, Mindy Meagher, Heidi Schmitt, Kelly Schultz, Crystal Songetay, Ann Stalboerger, and Heidi Steinhofer.

After-prom party
Following prom on Saturday, April 27, an after-prom party will be held overnight at Paynesville Area High School.

The party - which has been held for the past decade - is organized by parents and community volunteers.

It is separate from prom, though all prom goers are invited to attend. In addition, all juniors and seniors at PAHS, whether they go to prom or not, are invited to attend the after-prom party.

The party starts around midnight, with attendees normally "locked in" by 1 p.m. The party lasts until 5 a.m. on Sunday morning. The parents of students wanting to leave before 5 a.m. will be called and notified.

The party will feature a deejay, open gym in the high school gym, games in the middle school gym, plenty of food, and a videotape of the grand march.

The after-prom party is free to students, thanks to donations from the community. This year, $6,000 has been donated to provide prizes, music, and food at the after-prom party. "All the students will get a $15 to $18 gift sometime during the night," said Corrine Lieser, who continues to help organize the party even though all her boys have graduated.

Prizes this year include a CD player, luggage, microwave, bicycle, small refrigerator, stereo radio, and video chairs. For students who sign up for the after-prom party by Friday, April 19, a special early-bird drawing for three 19" color televisions will be held. Students can sign up for the party in the high school office.

The party was started as a safe alternative for students after prom. "If we save one life, we feel we've accomplished our goal," wrote the organizing committee in a letter to parents.

The organizing committee is Sharon Glenz, Vicki Jenniges, Barb Koehn, Velda Larsen, Lieser, Gretchen O'Fallon, Patty Stalboerger, and Linda Stelling.

Any parent wanting to volunteer to help at the after-prom party can contact Lieser at 320-243-4324 or Jenniges at 320-276-8287.