April kicks off an exciting, but often dangerous season for high school students. Prom season arrives in spring, along with the warmer weather, and is soon followed by graduation, with all of its attendant parties and farewell events. It is a time of fun and celebration, but it is no coincidence that Alcohol Awareness Month is held every April. In 2005, during prom and graduation season (April, May, June), 676 students under the age of 21 were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Those deaths aren't just the traffic fatalities caused by alcohol and drug use. Many teens have died from alcohol poisoning, drowning, or other accidents at underage parties, and authorities are cracking down. Earlier this month, police in Plainville were hoping to send a clear message by arresting and charging dozens of students who attended such a party, arresting even those who had not participated in drug or alcohol use. A week later, the junior prom in North Andover was abruptly halted after several students got sick from eating brownies laced with marijuana. Students were sent home an hour early and parents had to come pick them up from school. Other parents have run into legal trouble in recent years when alcohol or drugs were used at poorly chaperoned parties in their homes.

Dobby the house elf greets visitors at a Harry Potter-themed Celebration in 2009. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Harvard created its own response to these problems in 1996, when a group of concerned parents and community members formed Harvard's Substance Abuse Task Force, which later launched an after-prom alcohol-free event called Celebration. On May 13, the 15th annual Celebration will once again provide a fun and safe all-night event for Bromfield juniors, seniors, and their dates.

Celebration has become a magical and highly anticipated tradition that brings together parents, community members, local businesses, and volunteers in a huge effort.

"It is definitely a community-sponsored event that keeps our children and our townspeople safe on Bromfield's prom night. It is truly something that the entire community and all who sponsor Celebration are proud of," says Lois Krutz, who has volunteered for four years, all of them as co-chairman. The other co-chairman is Debbie MacKenzie, who has chaired the event with Lois for all four of them, and spent an additional year as a photographer.

The party begins when the prom ends and runs to 5:30 a.m. Volunteers go all out to keep the kids engaged—bouncy castles, special games and activities, entertainment, prize raffles every two minutes, incredible food, and more keep teens entertained throughout the night.

Planning begins in October, when the two co-chairmen and 11 subcommittees come together to select a party theme. The theme is a closely guarded secret that volunteers go to ridiculous lengths to keep under wraps, and guessing what it will be seems to be a full-time occupation for some students. Volunteers use code words, hide incriminating evidence, store props and materials at neighbors' houses, and make sure to keep e-mails and voice mails private. Previous years' themes have included Harry Potter, Wild Wild West, Paris, Pirates of the Carribean, TV Land, and The Wizard of OZ.

In 2008, visitors followed the yellow brick road through the haunted forest when the Celebration theme was The Wizard of Oz. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)

It takes more than 250 volunteers to pull off the event, and some work on the party year after year, sometimes long after their kids graduate. Krutz lists several of the many long-term volunteers that have kept Celebration running smoothly over the years. "Marie LeBlanc of Transitions Liquidations helps us clear out and organize the Celebration storage room, and donates her trucks and crew to pick up borrowed items every year," she says. "Bonnie Sweeney and Chef Paul cook all night long; Dennis Bradley, with his team of "casino" volunteers, runs the casino area year after year; Larry Miller, Larry Hayes, Larry Tacito, and Matt Alexander build, maintain and erect all of the fake walls; Ted Stefanik designs and implements technology that enables us to check in and check out all students so that we know who arrives , when they leave, why, and with whom. He has also designed a method for us to fairly and easily distribute prizes to the kids every two minutes throughout the night." She says that Stefanik designs and implements a new high technology game every year as part of the all-night entertainment.

More than 90 percent of Bromfield juniors and seniors attend the event, which is free to encourage participation. Because it takes in no admission fees, Celebration depends totally on the generosity of the community and local businesses. Ellen Leicher, who has chaired the Prize Committee for four years, says, "We have approached many businesses in town and in the surrounding communities, and we are ever so grateful for their support; many have given year after year. If it weren't for the generosity of the businesses, we wouldn't be able to afford our students the wonderful and safe experience they so look forward to in their junior and senior years."

The community is invited to see Bromfield's magical transformation during an open house from 9 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 13, when the theme for this year's event will finally be revealed. This year, Celebration is requesting a small donation for admission to the Open House to support future Celebrations. A suggested donation would be $5 per family.

"Raising money for this event is getting harder and harder, and we hope that the community will see the incredible effort and passion that go into making this a memorable and safe experience for our town's kids and want to support our efforts," says Krutz. She also notes that almost all members of the Celebration committee have their last child graduating this year, so for Celebration to continue, parents of younger students will need to step up and volunteer to lead. Open house is a great time to come and see what it is all about, but anyone interested in volunteering next year can also help with setup that afternoon or tear-down the next morning (at 5:30 a.m.), and see a bit of how Celebration magic is created.