CASEY: Roanoke Sheriff's Office organizes Berglund Center ‘prom’ for senior citizens (2024)

People often ask where I find column ideas. Sometimes, I stumble upon them when pursuing other columns. The story behind this one is just a bit crazy.

In July, I needed to borrow a splendorous ladies church hat, for the sake of journalism and my backyard marijuana plants. One is named for Stephanie Moon Reynolds, the city councilwoman who’s running for mayor. I needed a Sunday church hat to accent her plant. But I didn’t know where to borrow one.

Brenda Hale, president of the Roanoke’s NAACP branch, dished that Priscilla Casey (no relation) has the biggest women’s hat collection in Roanoke. So I called Casey, who’s a lot of fun. Soon, I found myself at her place in Cave Spring.

She loaned me two stunning purple hats. And when I returned them a few days later, after taking the photos, Casey said, “I’ve got another story for you. Have you heard about the senior citizens prom?”

She fished an 8 x 11 flier from a stack of papers and showed me.

“The Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office is excited to present the first annual Once upon a Time Senior Citizens Prom,” it read.As seniors, both us Caseys found it interesting.

The no-charge event, for Roanokers age 50 and up, happens 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Berglund Center’s Bella Vista Room. That relatively new fourth-floor reception hall opened in September and sports roughly 6,000 square feet.

“It’s a good banquet space that stays really busy,” said James Faris, who books events there for the Berglund Center.

Bella Vista is wrapped with huge windows and overlooks downtown Roanoke’s skyline with the Blue Ridge mountains in the backdrop. In photos on the Berglund Center’s website, the place looks modern and fancy. The views are inspiring.

Since 2022, Roanoke Sheriff Antonio Hash has served in the office. He’s a longtime deputy who won the constitutional office in a contested 2021 election. Hash presides over the second-largest law-enforcement operation in Roanoke, after city police. The sheriff’s office has 221 personnel, including 191 sworn deputies.

In Virginia, sheriffs’ duties vary by jurisdiction. Roanoke’s sheriff is principally responsible for guarding the city jail, courthouse security, serving civil court papers and staffing school resource officers at city elementary schools.

The Roanoke Sheriff’s Office also participates in TRIAD, a statewide effort organized by the Virginia Attorney General. TRIAD’s focused on senior citizens, and fosters regular contact between local law enforcement agencies, seniors and senior advocacy groups. Its goal is reducing crimes against seniors.

Locally, TRIAD holds monthly informational seminars warning seniors of scams, and about other topics such as estate planning, mindfulness and physical and mental health.

“TRIAD is continually looking for ways to bring information to the senior population of Roanoke City,” said Tameka Paige, a spokeswoman for the sheriff. One of those ways is “a fun and engaging activity” like the senior citizens prom.

Paige said planning for next month’s prom began in February. The theme is “Hollywood glam” and the attire is semi-formal. Berglund Center is catering. There will be music, but it was unclear Friday whether that would entail a live band or a deejay.

No city taxpayer money is being spent on the prom, Paige said. A grant from TRIAD is partially funding event, which the Berglund Center is catering. Much of the rest is being covered by cash or in-kind donations from sponsors. In all, Paige expects prom expenses to run $7,000 to $8,000. The largest single expense is catering.

Among the sheriff’s staff, more than a bit of discussion went into setting the minimum age for senior prom-goers, Paige told me, because there’s no specific definition of “senior citizen.”

Ultimately, ”we went with the AARP’s number, 50,” Paige noted, referring to the American Association of Retired Persons.

She’s also organized some volunteer drivers who can transport non-driving prom-goers, and some volunteer cosmetologists who can do hairdressing and nails for female attendees. Paige might also be able to rustle up a donated suit or two for men who can’t afford them. Those in-kind donations are available on a limited basis, she noted.

“We don’t want there to be any barriers to anyone in our senior community,” she said.

The prom will include photographers snapping photos of attendees, some gift-basket door prizes, many decorations and lots of conversation, Paige said.

“We want everyone to engage, dance, take pictures — we want this to be a night to remember,” she said. The Sheriff’s Office is hoping to make it an annual event.

The total number of seats available for the senior citizens prom is 175. As of Thursday afternoon, some 70 tickets already had been reserved.

There are a few ways to get reservations. One is to point your phone at the QR code in the flyer (above), which will take you to an online order form.

If you’re a sponsor who’d like to donate to the event, contact Tameka Paige (540) 853-1761 or Tameka.Paige@roanokeva.gov (no period on the end).