Ocean City Celebrates After-Prom

By MADDY VITALE On Saturday, Ocean City High School students went from dining and dancing at the historic Flanders Hotel for the prom to enjoying games, inflatables, prizes galore and even trying their hand at a mechanical bull at the 28th annual After-Prom. The festivities went from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Prom-goers got changed into casual clothes and an After-Prom T-shirt at the high school. Then they enjoyed an array of activities, including live entertainment, food and giveaways from local businesses -- all in a safe and alcohol-free environment. The theme of this year’s After-Prom was fittingly “Light up the Night.” At midnight, fireworks lit up the sky.

Amy Holmes, co-chair of the After-Prom Committee, attributed much of the success of the event to the dedicated volunteers made up primarily of parents, guardians and alumni, as well as many pleased prom-goers. “The months and months of planning led up to a flawless night from set-up to cleanup,” Holmes said. “The attendance, enthusiasm and gratitude of students of Ocean City High School make it easy to say we can’t wait until next year.” Jennifer Bowman, also co-chair of the committee, added, “Lots of alumni came back to help. They see the value in this night and they have no problem staying up all night.” Each year Holmes, and her husband Bill Holmes, of Upper Township, along with Jennifer and Charlie Bowman, of Ocean City, co-chair the event. They do it with the help of other volunteers, along with the local businesses that donate gifts and food. While this year’s event is over after much success, the volunteers said they will start gearing up for After-Prom 2023. Here are some more photos from After-Prom 2022 by Kerri J Photography: