Final Ford City High Prom King and Queen Crowned Friday

by Jonathan Weaver

Rain drops quickly dissipated Friday evening before Ford City High School couples preceded the last school prom with a ‘Grand March’ in Ford City Park.

More than 80 couples were included in the annual event - before a caravan led by county Sheriff Bill Rupert, Chief Deputy Terry Bish and Captain Frank Pitzer escorted couples out of town.

Traffic along 4th Avenue near the park was blocked off by local police and volunteer firefighters as family and friends crowded near the main gazebo to get photos of the final event.

Prom couples double-parked along 4th Avenue in front of the gazebo before the main event - a ‘Star Wars’- themed prom at Lenape Heights Golf Course in Manor Township.

Senior Prom Chair and Senior Class Vice-President Andrew Hamilton led off the grand march by escorting his date, Stephanie DiGregorio.

Senior Class President Karlee Smith (who has seen the six movies, but isn’t as big of a fan as Senior Prom Chair Lauren Pyle) said seniors voted on the “outside-the-box” theme in February and students have been working hard since to prepare for an extra-special event.

“A lot of things have been going through orders and processing since then, but the real work started about a month ago when we said ‘OK, now we really need to figure out what we need for prom,’” Smith said. “We’ve been working hard and long on it, but it paid off.”

Pyle (escorted by Junior Class Corresponding Secretary and Junior Prom Chair Mark Yankasky) admitted to being a big ‘Star Wars’ fan, even supplying Yankasky - her friend since junior high student council - with a light saber for the big night.

“We just wanted something different for the very last year,” Pyle said. “This is our last hurrah.”

“I think this was a brilliant way to go out,” Yankasky added.

Though Smith said she was a little hesitant at first.

“When (Pyle) said ‘Star Wars,’ we were all like ‘No, absolutely not’ - we Googled ‘Star Wars Prom’ and nothing came up because a lot of people don’t do it. But, then we started ordering the stuff and we said ‘This can be kind-of cool.’

Last week, Pyle and Smith decided that light sabers should not be considered weapons

Smith’s escort - her boyfriend of five months, Kittanning High School Junior Jamie Contrael - wore a purple tie to match his date’s purple dress with shimmery diamonds. Both also attended Kittanning’s prom May 8.

Smith has now been to three Ford City proms in three different venues.

Seniors Nathaniel Klingensmith - also part of the senior class cabinet and student council - and Madison Brice - a future Butler County Community College student - were crowned Prom King and Queen, respectively. Both said they were surprised after the student votes were tallied and were rooting for other senior prom court candidates Caleb Zablocki and Blair Willyard.

“It was very exciting for me - I didn’t expect this to happen,” Brice said. “It’s my last prom and I was crowned queen - really exciting.”

2014 King and Queen, Mike Cook - a Butler County Community College student studying business - and Andrea DiGregorio - a Slippery Rock University student studying elementary and special education - said they didn’t know this year’s Prom Prince and Princess, Duke and Duchess or King and Queen winners until moments before walking through the pavilion.

Seniors have less than 10 days of school classes left due to graduation practices.

An after-prom was also held at the high school.

Seniors have less than 10 days of school classes left due to graduation practices.