Between home schooling, limited access to parks and public spaces and restrictions on visiting friends’ homes, teens missed out on many rites of passage during the pandemic.
Local mum Kylie Ryan is making up for lost time, offering to organise a debutante ball for local boys and girls in Years 11 or 12, or those who may have missed out over the past few years.
Her own 16-year-old daughter is eager to make her deb, but as her school does not run a deb ball, she began looking for other options.
Ms Ryan approached two schools in Bendigo but they were completely booked out; she also looked locally and realised there were no options for students.
“After all the crap of the last few years, it’s just something nice to do, to give everyone a break,” she said.
“By having it independently we could catch some of those people who haven’t had the chance or the opportunity over the last few years.”
To go ahead with holding the event locally, Ms Ryan would need a minimum of eight partners, or 16 participants.
“In a perfect world it would all come together quite well … It would be so nice to have something like this annually,” Ms Ryan said.
But so far, she has not received the number she needs to proceed with booking the event.
“I am a bit perplexed why I’ve had no contact from any young people, it’s really bizarre,” Ms Ryan said.
Unsure whether students are unaware of the option, uninterested or whether the cost is prohibitive, Ms Ryan is looking for support to get the event off the ground.
Quotes she has received from businesses that offer a package service for deb balls have been $350 for girls’ tickets — flowers, photography, meal and dance tuition included — and $450 for boys, which also includes suit and shoe hire.
In looking for ways to make the ball more cost effective so more teens can participate, Ms Ryan has considered looking for businesses or community groups to sponsor the event or perhaps provide a space or service to make the ball more affordable.
“I don’t know whether any of the local businesses would get behind some of the girls and sponsor them, it would be a good tax deduction,” she said.
Ms Ryan would be pleased for any businesses or community groups to come forward with any ideas of how to make the ball work, likewise, for those who wish to sign up for the event — they can email Kylie at kylie_jryan@hotmail.com