When Michael Jimenez first joined Circle of Friends as a freshman, he had no idea how much it would positively impact his life throughout high school. Now, as senior class president, Michael still finds time in his busy schedule to make a change in not only the lives of others, but in his own as well. Even after the seniors with special needs graduate each year, he stills carries on his friendship with them by keeping in touch with the students through text message.

”I think it really helps the students with special needs make new friends,” Jimenez said. “We get to eat with them at lunch time and play basketball with them in the gym. It helps the students here realize that it’s a good thing to be helping out the students with special needs.”

Throughout the school year, students like Jimenez look for opportunities to include their friends in activities during and after school to make a difference in their lives. The Grand Ball is designed to give special needs students the prom night that many of them wouldn’t be able to experience otherwise.

Tonight’s Grand Ball will be a road trip theme based off the inspiring, light-hearted story by Dr. Seuss, “Oh The Place You’ll Go!”

“Oh the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.” ―Dr. Seuss

This exclusive event is free of charge and because of it’s gain in popularity each year you must have an invitation to attend. Invitations will be given out to students and members Circle of Friends that are chosen to be escorts. Killough and Harmon campuses are now also being included in the event this year so tickets will be even more limited. Each student also gets to invite a set amount of their family members so that they can come and watch the magical night unfold.

The Grand Ball booster club committee has been working hard all year to raise money. February was the ”month of love” where all teachers could pay $20 to wear jeans for the month. Because of the many donations, decorations, food, dresses, tuxedos, and even limos can be supplied for the students. StuCo, NJROTC and NHS also donated their time to help decorate.

Special needs teachers are also incorporating getting ready for Grand Ball into class activities.

“We do community-based outings every week,” Circle of Friends sponsor Bailey Fath said. “Sometimes we take them to look at dresses and incorporate getting measured for tuxes into it. We have a planned trip where some of the Circle of Friends members are going with the girls to go pick out dresses and another trip for the guys.”

COF vice president Steven Harris was extremely enthusiastic about tonight’s event.

“All the kids are gonna be awesome and they’re going to look amazing,” Harris said. “And the seniors this year are gonna make it as fun as possible for kids too since they’re leaving, and it’s their last Grand Ball with the kids.”

COF president Cassidy  Bishop, who will be escorting Collin Fairchild, loves the way the group is preparing during Circle of Friends meetings with the students.

“Depending on what day it is we’ll dance to practice for Grand Ball,” Cassidy said. “Or make posters for our ‘End the ‘R’ Word’ campaign or dance on the Wii.”

Dancing is a big part of the Grand Ball.

“We want appropriate social interaction when it comes to a dancing situation,” special needs teacher Cheryl Wold said. “My goal is to teach an appropriate dancing situation, how to act in a formal setting, and how to have fun with their peers.”

For Bishop, the Grand Ball will be especially Grand this year.

“I think it’ll be special for me this year because its my senior year so it’s my last one,” Bishop said. “For everybody else, we have a bunch of new people this year that have never been a part of Circle of Friends so that’s kinda special. It’ll be like a new experience for everybody. I didn’t go to prom last year, but everyone tells me that Grand Ball is better. I expect it to be a lot of fun. My escort doesn’t like to sit, he likes to dance, so I expect to be really tired by the end of it.”

There is a lot that go into preparing for the night and each year it proves to be a success. Some even argue that the Grand Ball ends is a more exciting event than prom.

Even if students can’t attend or volunteer, they can still be digitally connected to the Grand Ball. Students involved in Grand Ball can tweet using the hashtag #LHSGB2013 while at the event or in the days leading up to it and their tweets will be displayed in a Storify timeline on Farhar.net.

“It’s a really big deal,” said Kay Sutton, principal’s secretary and one of  the driving forces behind Grand Ball. “I don’t think people understand what it really is until they go and see what takes place. They take the cafeteria and cover the walls with decorations, so it’s a huge transformation that takes place. They turn the cafeteria into a ballroom.”

Jimenez said he always develops a close bond with the students he escorts.

“It’s just something really special to do for them and it changes the way you think about things in world,” Jimenez said. “It’s for a great cause and everyone should be a part of it.”