Idaho parents organize their own prom. The tagline? ‘A little party never killed nobody.’
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Nicole Foy, Idaho Statesman
MELBA (Idaho Statesman) — A flyer for an Idaho high school’s prom began making the rounds on social media Wednesday.
Melba Junior-Senior High School isn’t hosting an official prom this spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But a group of parents decided to host a prom of their own for Melba students.
The tagline? “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody.”
Melba parent Chanall Astle, whose name is listed on the flyer as one of the organizers, said the tagline was in reference to “The Great Gatsby,” which is the theme of the event. (The line does not make an appearance in “The Great Gatsby” novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but it is the title of a song sung by Fergie and featured in the 2013 film adaptation of the movie).
Astle said she had already removed the flyer from Facebook, where it was posted, after receiving a call from the school district. She declined to say whether the event still would take place in Nampa as scheduled.
“It’s hard enough to give our kids some enjoyment this year and let them have a little fun,” Astle told the Statesman on Wednesday. “It’s really disappointing as a parent when you try to do a good thing, but people turn it into a bad thing.”
It’s unclear whether the prom, scheduled for April 17, would violate any local or state COVID-19 restrictions. Idaho’s Stay Healthy Order for Stage 3 says gatherings should be limited to 50 or fewer people. Southwest District Health, which oversees Nampa and Canyon County, has never passed a public health order mandating masks.
Although the number of Idahoans contracting the coronavirus has been declining, Idahoans are still dying and getting sick. As of Wednesday, more than 1,900 people have died related to COVID-19 in the state.
Parties have been linked to serious outbreaks across the country. In Maine, a wedding reception was blamed for an outbreak that led to seven deaths, CNN reported. In Missouri, a parent-run school dance created a COVID-19 outbreak, too, McClatchy News reported.