The high school students had their day and this month it is time for the senior citizens to get their dancing shoes on. Hillsborough County is hosting a Senior Prom event at The Regent in Riverview on June 22 and 500 residents, aged 50 and older, are expected to attend.
“We try to make the event as similar to a high school prom as possible,” said Frances Duran Brea, Hillsborough County senior center manager and prom event coordinator. “There is a theme, a DJ, dancing and good food. Everything you need to make a fun party.”
Members of the county’s 23 senior sites are invited to attend the event, which is free of cost to them.
According to Brea, who has been running this event for six years, this month’s event has a West Indies Carnival Jam theme and the food will be catered by Jerk Hut while the DJ will play Calypso and reggae music.
Similar to a high school prom, the highlight of the event, according to Brea, is the coronation of the prom king and queen. Each senior center in the county sends a representative couple, which makes up the prom court, and then the king and queen are randomly chosen from the members of the court. Tom Wong of the Brandon Senior Center and Patricia Roth from the Wimauma Senior Center were the king and queen of the 2017 senior prom.
Attendees are also eligible to win door prizes which include baskets and gift cards.
“We can’t wait to welcome our active seniors from all over the county to this wonderful event,” said Brea, who believes that approximately 5,000 residents use the senior services in the county every year.
Hillsborough County’s senior and dining centers offer activities throughout the year for residents from Black and Hispanic heritage celebrations to The Brain and Body Challenge, where residents from all centers compete for a trophy, and a domino tournament to celebrate National Senior Center Month in September.
The event will take place from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on June 22 at The Regent which is located at 6437 Watson Rd. in Riverview. Residents are asked to call their local senior center for details on how to register.
More information can be found at www.hillsboroughcounty.org.
