Another chance for Senior Prom for 90 folks in Parma

Story by Rick Haase; Photos by Michael Pokorny

Sheila Kareha and Chuck Jennings attended their first prom together -- at the Ridgewood Family YMCA. She's 84, he's 88.

Neither Sheila Kareha, 84, nor Chuck Jennings, 88, had ever been to a prom before.

Right after high school, Jennings, a former Navy Seabee, (Construction Battalion member) was shipping off to Okinawa.

Kareha, a member of the British Navy, was serving her country in London at the same time, also in World War II.

But the pair, who both reside in Parma, made up for lost time last Friday. They were among about 100 attendees at the first “Senior Prom,” held at the Ridgewood Family YMCA, 6840 Ridge Road.

“It’s better than Okinawa or London,” said Kareha with a great big smile, looking demure in a pale lemon sleeveless sheath. “At least we’re not being bombed.”

Jennings and Kareha met at the Ridgewood Y. Both are widowed, and since neither got to attend a prom as a teenager, they figured, why not attend one now?

“It’s a good thing,” Jennings said in a soft-spoken voice. He sported a vivid apricot colored shirt with a Western tie at the event, which was organized by Ridgewood Family YMCA Active Older Adults Coordinator Jeanne Sutyak and Ridgewood Volunteer Advisory Board President Shawn Kata.

Jennings has a longstanding history with the Ridgewood Y, his daughter, Donna Jennings, explained.

“He did maintenance work here for many years,” she said. She lives with her Father, and serves as his caregiver.

“This is proof that the Y is a fun place,” said Sutyak. “You can fulfill all your needs here…entertainment, travel, and health and wellness.”

Frank Lovell and his friend, Winnie Vasek, also both Parma residents, agreed wholeheartedly.

“We love it,” Lovell said. “We go dancing two or three times a week.” They both said they wouldn’t have missed the event.

Winnie Vasek and Frank Lovell of Parma dance two or three times a week.

“I’ve been a member here for 20 years,” he said. “It’s great.”

The “Senior Prom” was more than just a dance. It was a chance for participants to not only have fun, socialize, and have lunch together, but also give back to the community. Proceeds from the event directly benefitted the YMCA’s annual Strong Kids Campaign.

The campaign ensures that no one is turned away because of the inability to pay. Using Strong Kids funding, scholarships are made available to Y members and those within the community in need, who might not otherwise be able to afford the cost of a Y membership or program.

Last year, the Greater Cleveland YMCA Strong Kids Campaign raised a total of $614,490 to underwrite $758,320 in scholarships for 4,192 youth and families.

At the Ridgewood branch in 2010, $38,406 in scholarship funding was used to subsidize 338 individuals. For those on hand, it was as much about fun, as it was about dollars, cents and kids.

Ed Klimczak provided the entertainment.

There were numerous local vendors who paid $25 to sponsor informational tables at the event, including Parma Community General Hospital, among others.

Ed Klimczak of Amherst provided the musical entertainment.

The party went on well past its scheduled 1:30 p.m. ending time. That is the sign of a great event, isn’t it, when the guests linger rather than leave?

Lovell certainly thought so. He and Vasek were among the last to leave the crowded dance floor.

“My favorite dance is the polka,” he said.

The gymnasium of the Ridgewood Family YMCA was crowded with dancers during last week's Y-sponsored "Senior Prom."