Desert Oasis students celebrate senior prom with parade

Desert Oasis High School’s senior prom was supposed to be held Saturday, but it was canceled when schools statewide were closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Instead, school officials and parents came up with an alternate plan: a drive-through senior prom parade Friday night at the southwest Las Vegas school.

Clark County School District police were present to ensure safety and to remind participants — who were required to remain in their vehicles — to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Seniors decorated their cars early Friday and during the parade, they wore either formal attire or school spirit gear. School employees, parents and underclassmen parked along the parade route and cheered as they passed by.

Seniors Desirae Rueda and Noel Velasco sat in camp chairs before the parade started. Rueda’s mother had decked out a car with congratulatory signs, string lights and Class of 2020 decor.

For the 17-year-olds, the parade created something for the seniors to remember.

“(The parade) means a lot because a lot of our senior memories got taken away,” Rueda said. She was wearing a dress and a paper crown.

Since they don’t know when they’ll have a graduation ceremony, “it’s just cool to see everybody,” Rueda said.

Even though prom was canceled, “We still get something,” Velasco said.

MaryRose Pong’s car was decorated with a sign and two small American flags. Her 17-year-old son, Chandler, was riding in a different car with friends.

“We’re super excited they’re trying,” she said about the school’s effort to put on a prom parade.

Chandler is enlisting in the National Guard and leaving in June for months of training.

Pong said her son has a great perspective about the disruption to his senior year. “I think I’m taking it harder than he is.”

Desert Oasis Assistant Principal Karmen Miller said Friday morning she expected about 300 people to participate. “We’re going to keep it contained in our parking lot. We’re trying to be very aware of our neighbors.”

Desert Oasis, which has nearly 800 seniors in its graduating class, asked students to sign up in advance “because we’re trying to follow social distancing rules,” Miller said.

Coronado High parade

Also on Friday night, Coronado High School in Henderson held a “senior sunset farewell drive-by parade.” School administrators weren’t available to comment Friday.

At the event, students received a yard sign provided by the senior class and student council. Signs were handed out to students through an open car window or placed in their trunk.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.