Hospital to Prom Transformation Takes Place Tonight at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital

Young patients of a Palo Alto hospital will be transported to exotic lands Friday night when they enter the cafeteria as they celebrate their very own prom.    

DreamWorks studio will supply backdrops and decorations to convert the cafeteria of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford into a "passport to adventure"—the prom's theme—inspired by the young patients from all over the world, organizers said.          

More than 75 volunteers and local businesses, including Selix Tuxedos and The Lilac Boutique, will donate their time and goods to make sure the prom is a night to remember.          

The prom is open to anyone who was a patient this year, and all of the patients are allowed to bring a guest. Organizers are expecting about 125 party-goers, including some patients who are delaying their trips home in order to attend.

"Some of these kids will never have a prom," organizer Kathy Ho said in a statement. "Every day, they dream about being somewhere else, having an adventure or just going out and experiencing normal things."  When the prom-goers step off of the elevator, they will pick up a passport and travel past exotic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, organizers said.         

The event will feature carnival games and internationally inspired food, as well as the traditional prom staples—music and dancing.        

"The most extraordinary thing about prom is that, for one night, these kids get to feel ordinary," Ho said.

—Bay City News Service