‘We Feel Fortunate’: NCHS Post Prom 2025 [Q&A]

Plans are well underway for the New Canaan High School class of 2025 Post Prom, a beloved local tradition that goes back 66 years.

We caught up with the Post Prom 2025 fundraising team—Alexis Brooks, Clara Hansen and Sapna Shah—to learn more about the special night, its history, popularity, nuts-and-bolts and place in the community.

Here’s our exchange.

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New Canaanite: For locals who don’t know, please provide some background on the NCHS Post Prom event.

Alexis Brooks: This time-honored New Canaan tradition – and a culmination of NCHS students’ experience – is celebrating its 66th anniversary. Post Prom provides an inclusive, safe and celebratory night for the entire graduating class, from midnight to 4 a.m. Jane Cullen is our fearless Post Prom 2025 Chair and is assisted by well-organized subcommittees consisting of dozens of parent volunteers.

The Country Club of New Canaan held the very first Post Prom in 1959, known as the “Dance-After-the Dance,” which lasted from 1 to 7 a.m. (wow) after a group of NCHS senior parents formed a committee and organized an all-night Senior Prom after-party.

So a community tradition was born. For the last 51 years, Post Prom has taken place at Waveny House, a New Canaan crown jewel. Year after year, our parents and businesses in the community plan, sponsor and donate time, prizes and funds to make Post Prom a memorable and incredible event for our seniors.

How inclusive is prom? How many graduating seniors show up?

Sapna Shah: Post Prom is open to every senior at the high school, regardless of whether they go to Prom. So even if a student can’t go to the dance or simply doesn’t want to, they can still take part in the festivities with fellow classmates at Waveny House. As far as how popular this event is among students? Last year, all but one attended and that was because of a conflict.

Why is that figure so high, do you think?

Sapna Shah: Post Prom is a celebration of so many things – ‘I finally graduated,’ (or ‘phew, I graduated’), ‘I’m outta here!,’ ‘I’m gonna miss you guys,’ ‘wait til you all see me at our 10-year reunion.’  Most importantly, it honors ‘whatever we did, whatever happened, we were together.’  We feel fortunate to be part of a community that is committed to holding an inclusive event dedicated to seniors celebrating all these things safely. And it’s quite an event. Exciting prizes and activities, along with enough food to feed 300-plus teenagers for hours, all wrapped up in a creative theme and décor to match… Who wouldn’t want to go?

Talk about Post Prom as part of the wider New Canaan community. What kind of support does Post Prom receive from beyond the PFA and NCHS senior families? How is Post Prom supported? 

Clara Hansen: When we think about the different events that take place in our town over the course of a year – ones that are cherished and “quintessential New Canaan” – Post Prom is among them. While other towns may hold celebrations similar to our Post Prom, we’re lucky that we can boast that we have been hosting graduating seniors for 66 years. It would not be possible, however, without the generosity of the senior families. First, there’s the monetary donation requested of parents of each graduating senior. Parents have a deep, vested interest in making this night special for their kids – for all the kids, in fact – and they open up their hearts and wallets tremendously. And this year, we injected some fun into the parent donations campaign through a raffle for “early bird” donations. Three parent winners were able to dine “on the house,” so to speak, through gift certificates generously donated by three restaurants – our very own Chef Luis, Barcelona Norwalk and Tengda Greenwich.

Post Prom also could not be possible without the support of the many businesses across New Canaan and neighboring towns. Four levels of sponsorship are available: Prom and Ram Jam Title Sponsor; Prom Sponsor; Prom Fanatic; and Ram Fan. However, it’s much more than an opportunity to promote their businesses. Sponsors, many of whom have been based here for years, care about our families and express that supporting Post Prom enables them to not only give back to the community, but also participate in the joyful send-off to our seniors.

Karl Chevrolet, for example, is a “Prom Sponsor” for the Class of 2025 Post Prom. Everyone in town knows Karl Chevrolet, who regularly sponsors many town events. But, a little Post Prom trivia: Karl Chevrolet has sponsored Post Prom every year, from the very first Post Prom 66 years ago.

And, as mentioned, sponsors are not bound by town lines – but they sure are bound by the love their feel for our community. For example, Tutor Me SOS, in Stamford, is another “Prom Sponsor” this year. They sponsored without hesitation, saying they would be honored to contribute to making the night special for our students, many of  whom they count as clients.

Many Post Prom 2025 corporate sponsors are businesses run by New Canaan parents, some of whom have graduating seniors. Currently, they include dentists Dr. William Fessler and Dr. Anna Simonis; New Canaan-based medical group, OSSM; the Gencarelli’s (Village Table in Stamford); and Daren D’Andrea (Union 12 Design).

As you can see, the generosity of our sponsors – the lifeblood of our communities – is such a driving force in making Post Prom what it is. We’re continuing to actively recruit sponsors to add to this amazing list of businesses. And, any businesses interested in learning more about sponsorships, can visit our information page.

I know the Post Prom is a carefully guarded secret, but what else, if anything can you share about this year’s party? 

Alexis Brooks: Indeed, Post Prom 2025’s theme is top secret. However, we can tell you that themes tend to look to the future while paying homage to the past. Dozens of parents are already busy at work, securing food and prize donations, signing up volunteers to staff the event and scheming to transform Waveny House. A great deal of thought is being given as to how to weave this top-secret theme into every aspect of the event. Some previous Post Prom themes include: “It’s Only the Beginning,” “Live From New Canaan, It’s Saturday Night,” and “2024 Goes On Tour”.

We invite the readers of the New Canaanite to guess Post Prom 2025’s theme and post in the comments.

Click here for information on NCHS Post Prom 2025 Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities.