Virtual Senior Prom for Houston’s Sunshine Kids to Light Up the Night

No prom? No problem. At least not for more than 100 Sunshine Kids and their families who have been invited to join Prom Night this Saturday via Facebook, compliments of the Arts of Healing Foundation. The nonprofit that blends the worlds of art and medicine has loads of virtual and real fun in store for participants.

Party kits are already on their way to the kiddos — boxes filled with kitten ears, ’80s oversized glasses, blinking rings, blow-up air guitars, neon bracelets, tie-dye T-shirts, and a light-up ball. The foundation was created by Lori and Dr. Isaac Raijman in 2017 with the noble goal of uniting physicians from major hospitals throughout the Texas Medical Center to encourage and celebrate the arts while raising money for a variety of medical challenges.

The party kicks off at 6:30 pm with The Chocolate Orb, a great ’80s cover band led by otolaryngologist Dr. Eric Powitzky, which takes the stage at Numbers for two hours of virtual partying. The band includes Mark Schultz on bass and vocals, Pastor Oropeza on drums, Leah White on keys and vocals, Megane Primault on percussion and background vocals, and Scott Gray on lead guitar. This is the seventh annual performance for The Chocolate Orb at Numbers benefiting local nonprofits.

The evening becomes a fundraiser with the presence of a virtual tip jar, with proceeds going to the Arts of Healing Foundation, Sunshine Kids, and A Children’s House for the Soul.

“Everyone’s world has been turned upside down by this pandemic,” says Kristen Collins, The Arts of Healing Foundation executive director. “There is no better time for us as a foundation to step up to support our doctors on the front lines and pay it forward to our community’s most at-risk families. What originally was going to be fun night out, has now become a fun night in.”

Details on the stay-at-home ’80s -themed prom are available here.