Beverly Adult Prom To Benefit 2 Local Charities

BEVERLY, MA – Pull your prom gown/tux out of the back of the closet: Adult prom is happening again. Last year, the Beverly Salem Elks Lodge 1309 raised roughly $3,000 for Tools for School – a charity that purchases school supplies for Salem students.

This year, Elks member and organizer Paul Breen hopes to beat last year's fundraising to help support a second charity: Ellis Square Friends, a homeless initiative in Beverly that provides meals to locals through Brenda Mattos.

"Her Thursday night meals are incredible," said Breen of Mattos. "We're going to split the proceeds between the two charities."

Adult Prom – which is Saturday, April 22, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Elks Lodge on Bow Street – is selling tickets for $20. Breen said the dress code last year varied from jeans to the prom's king and queen, who dressed as Drew Carey and Mimi from the Drew Carey Show.

This year's prom will also crown a king and queen, and have raffles for gift cards, massages, and an original painting done of a scene from the Superbowl. A photographer will come to take prom photos.

Breen said they've already presold more tickets than last year, and he and his wife Heather are hoping to beat last year's proceeds.

"Brenda Mattos has a saying, 'it takes a village,'" said Breen. "This is the same thing. I have a ton of people behind the scenes helping."

For information about the prom, click here.

Images via Paul Breen, original painting by Judi Jorge