For one night at Polar Park, the DCU Club became less of a ballpark function room and more of a long-awaited rite of passage.
More than 200 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, ranging in age from their 20s to their 90s, arrived in gowns, gloves, jewelry and suits last week for Thrive Support & Advocacy’s fifth annual “A Prom For All Ages,” an event organizers say was created to offer many attendees an experience they either missed earlier in life or never had access to at all.
Guests walked a red carpet after stepping out of limousines, posed for photos beneath balloon arches and spent the evening dancing, dining, socializing and receiving caricatures inside the WooSox clubhouse space overlooking the field.
The Worcester-based nonprofit said that the prom was designed to remove barriers that often prevent individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities from participating in large social events, including cost, transportation, accessibility and sensory concerns.
The event, first launched in 2022, has grown into one of Thrive’s signature annual gatherings and also serves as a fundraiser supporting the organization’s social and recreational programming for more than 1,500 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Central Massachusetts and MetroWest.
“This event brings together over 200 adults with IDD, ages 22 to 90, and their caregivers for a glamorous, inclusive evening of dinner, dancing, music, caricatures and connection,” Thrive said in the announcement.
The evening also included a ballpark tour with WooSox President Dr. Charles Steinberg.
Photos released by Thrive after the event showed attendees embracing the night’s “royalty” theme, with promgoers dressed in formalwear while dancing, walking the red carpet and posing with friends and family members.
“One of the attending individuals with IDD are experiencing [the prom] for the first time,” one event caption noted, describing the gathering as “reframing the high school dance” experience in a more welcoming and comfortable environment.
Thrive said attendees were admitted free of charge thanks to a whole lot of sponsors. The organization provides advocacy, family support, recreation and employment-related services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout the region.
