News Photo by Darby Hinkley Brother and sister William and Annabelle Roznowski pose with some of the decorations they have been helping to put up in preparation for Friday’s Special Needs Prom.

ALPENA — Friday will be a special night for many people in town. The APlex is hosting its Special Needs Prom, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.

The event was listed under the wrong day in Tuesday’s Community Calendar.

The public is welcome to come check out the Candy Land-themed decor between noon and 3 p.m. on Friday.

Organizers look forward to offering this special night to those in the community who don’t often get to dress up and have fun at a formal event.

“It’s an opportunity to experience a level of delight and excitement, and the feeling of being highlighted,” said Pied Piper Principal Larry Johns.

He said all the Pied Piper students have been invited to the Special Needs Prom, and he expects about two dozen of them to attend.

Some of the students have been busy making decorations, Johns added. They are not helping set up this year because he thought it would be better for the students to experience the surprise upon walking into the decorated ballroom.

He added that every student deserves fun events such as a prom.

“It’s a unique opportunity,” Johns said. “It’s recognizing that they have a right. They don’t just need the basics. They need those opportunities as well.”

On the decorating and planning side, APlex Events Coordinator Elaine Sommerfeld said they started planning the theme for this year right after last year’s event.

“We started planning this the day after the prom last year,” Sommerfeld said. “Then in January we went full force with making things.”

Some of the (not edible) props include larger-than-life lollipops made out of pool noodles, a life-sized gingerbread house, and huge poufs of cotton candy that look good enough to eat.

“This theme kind of popped out of my head,” Sommerfeld said. “Or, out of my mouth, I should say, last year. Because the guests want to know the night of the prom, before they leave, what next year’s theme is, because they look forward to it that much.”

She said 225 people are registered to attend the event, which is for those of all ages with special needs.

“They don’t have to prove that they’re special needs in any way, shape or form,” she explained. “They can just come and enjoy the night. We have dresses for the ladies and suits for the men that have been donated, and they can come and try on before the event.”

She said they started about a month ago letting people come and pick out clothes, which they then get to keep.

“They get a three-course catered sit-down meal,” she said. “We have youth from the area that come and help serve. And we have a DJ so they can dance for a few hours. It’s a fun night for them.”

She said the community has been very generous in helping to make the Special Needs Prom possible. Supporting organizations include Alpena County Youth and Recreation Millage, Alpena Lions Club, Northland Area Federal Credit Union, Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union, Gordon Food Service, Dean Transportation, Hunters Harvest, Nicolet Bank, I Do Cakes, Pied Piper Transitions class, Walmart, Perch’s IGA, J&M Catering, the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, and more.

“Many, many volunteers have come together to make this a very special night for all of our special needs population,” Sommerfeld said.

She said it costs nothing to the guests, but that level of entertainment and catering would normally cost about $25 per person.

“They love it,” Sommerfeld said of the guests who attend the Special Needs Prom. “They’ve really, really been looking forward to it.”