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Schools

Clarke Rallies Together for Pre-Prom

The Pre-Prom celebration for the W.T. Clarke High School Class of 2012 was held at the Shanahan home.

The Shanahan family opened their Westbury home to host pre-prom celebration for the class of 2012 on Thursday. 

Bill and Sharon Shanahan had invited 230 students and their relatives, providing a spacious backyard for photo sessions with refreshments to beat temperatures in the high 90s.

The family’s daughter, Demi, 18, is a senior this year, but the Shanahans have been hosting junior and senior pre-proms for years, as their older son, Justin, graduated in 2010.   

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“My son is a former student at Clarke as well,” Sharon said. “We just started the tradition four years ago. We had the room and we wanted to invite everyone. We didn’t want anyone feeling left out.”

The Shanahans also made place cards and centerpieces for the prom venue and promoted their event through the school. 

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“It’s a lot of work. I have a lot of friends who pitched in to help,” Sharon said.  “We posted on the PTA site and also a flyer went out to all the students and their families.”

The guests began streaming in at 3 p.m., representing a mix of classmates who will soon be attending various schools throughout New York State and other regions of the country.  

Demi Shanahan said she plans to study Business in the fall at the University of Michigan, and felt enthused for pre-prom and prom that night. 

“This is our last hurrah before we go to college," she said. "And I’m excited to be with the class of 2012.”

Ben King, 17, a future University of Virginia student, agreed.

“I’m most excited about spending time with my friends for the last time before we go to college,” King said.

Clarke senior Brooke Wood, 18, says she will study Political Science at Purchase College, but for Prom, “I’m excited to see everyone, how pretty they all look and to see the dresses.”

Two others, Mchaela Rotundo, 17, (Nassau  Community College) and Caroline Kosiba, 18, (University of Delaware) said they were most looking forward to “dancing” and “keeping cool.”

The air-conditioned limos began arriving by 5 p.m. to take all the soon-to-be graduates off to their prom site — the Harbor Club in Huntington Harbor. 

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