NASHUA, NH – It’s prom season, and while teenagers throughout the nation are stocking up on whitening strips and working on their tans, the adults are just supposed to snap the pictures of the teens gleaming for the camera.
Not so fast.
Jollycations, a local non-profit whose proceeds fund vacations for child oncology patients and their families, will host their second annual adult charity prom on June 8 at The Event Center in Nashua from 7-11 p.m.
This year’s theme, which was voted on by visitors of Jollycations’ Facebook page, will be a “Masquerade Ball,” which edged out the second-place theme of “The Roaring ’20s” by fewer than five votes.
Tickets are $50 per person or $375 for a table of eight guests, which includes music, dancing and dinner along with a cash bar. Additionally, the event will feature raffles and a silent auction of sports memorabilia provided by KBK Sports in Nashua.
But the focus is for the guests to enjoy the evening, said Jake Jollymore, the president and executive director of Jollycations.
“Everyone had such a good time [at last year’s event]. Looking back at the pictures you can see the pure joy in everyone’s faces,” he said.
Click to enlarge and view as a slideshow. Gallery by Peter the Photographer
Similar to last year’s event, Hooksett’s Peter the Photographer, LLC will be snapping the pictures of the guests in their glamorous gowns and best threads while cutting the proverbial rug.
Peter the Photographer is also sponsoring this year’s adult prom along with Granite State Credit Union and the Nashua Elks Lodge.
Jollymore said that the event is designed to be light, a little “cheesy” and ironically nostalgic, with the largest demographic of guests ranging from 25-50 years old.
“A lot of people never went to the prom, and a lot of people never went with their current partners, which makes for its own special and unique set of circumstances,” said Jollymore, whose wife Christina—who is the vice president, treasurer and development director for Jollycations—never attended her prom, which helped hatch the idea for the fundraiser.
Following the prom, there will also be an official after-party beginning at 11 p.m. at Blue Aqua in Manchester.
Jollycations was founded by Jake and Christina Jollymore in 2022, and for Jake, the mission is personal.
At 17 years old, and a senior at Campbell High School, Jake was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma, a rare form of muscle cancer typically found in people over 65 years old.
While going through his treatment, Jake said that he noticed “plenty of resources for the kids” but there was a lack of support for their families. “Sometimes the families need a shoulder to cry on,” he said. “We make it a ‘family’ distinction, as opposed to focusing on just the child.”
As for the Masquerade Ball, Jollymore hopes that people will consider attending or making a donation.
“It’s a great night out that supports a good cause,” Jollymore said. “It’s a win-win for everybody. I love what we’re doing here.”
Tickets can be purchased until the day of the event on the Jollycations website here. Enter the coupon code: LOVEMAMMA24. For any questions, contact Jake and Christina Jollymore at jollymore@jollycations.org
