Prom Committee Regroups After Destructive Fire At Empower Field At Mile High
BRIGHTON, Colo. (CBS4) - Broncos fans aren't impacted by the fire inside Empower Field at Mile High, but event planners using the space soon are regrouping. Students at Brighton High School have had their prom plans derailed more than once due to COVID. The stadium fire, days before their prom, had teens worrying their plans would derail again.
Brighton High School booked a suite at the stadium to hold its 2022 prom.
Juniors usually plan prom. Olivia Atkins, who is now a senior, started planning the event before COVID closed schools. She's been holding on to a huge binder -- full of plans that never happened -- ever since.
"We were definitely disappointed. Our main priority was making this the best prom that we could and run with the positive in everything that we could do," said Atkins. "We didn't want to make a priority of how we got moved from the suites. We just wanted students to know that we're still having prom."
Atkins, student government and prom co-chair, Kylie Goforth, have spent countless hours preparing the school prom's Neverland theme. The fire caused the team at Empower Field at Mile High to relocate their prom and other booked events.
The fire caused their prom in a stadium suite to be moved to the stadium's basement.
However, the suite booked for BHS's prom wasn't impacted by the fire.
"Only certain event spaces within Empower Field at Mile High have liquor licenses," Megan Boyle, a spokesperson for the Denver Broncos, told CBS4. "Brighton's prom did not need a liquor license, and another event did, so the prom was moved to another area in the stadium."
Scott Bliek, the Assistant General Manager at Empower Field at Mile High, says the school's event package was upgraded and given a discount to further accommodate.
Shelly Genereux, Principal at BHS, says these students were going to make this prom a success, no matter where it happens.
"When we got the options from Empower Field, we went over it with the kids and they were immediately like, we can do this, and we can make this an amazing prom. They have been working incredibly hard on this," said Genereux.
The team at Empower Field at Mile High not only offered the school a discount but gave them access to part of the field for their prom.
"Most high schools don't get to say that they got to have their prom on the field! That's been a huge change that we're very happy about," said Atkins.
The school says it plans to use the money they got back from their original stadium reservation to make the prom even better.
"We've been talked about adding more props to the prom and more amenities. We might put some extra special desserts out that the kids would enjoy," said Genereux.
High school students have learned resilience due to COVID. Atkins and the student government were prepared to regroup, but for the first time in a while, bad news ended up with them on top -- or rather, on the field.
"Our original vision is nothing like it has turned out to be. It's actually 10 times better. And it's going to be amazing," said Atkins.
When it comes to future events, Denver Broncos Communications Strategist, told CBS4:
"Evaluations of the damaged area will continue, but with a busy summer of events ahead, the Stadium Management Company is moving full speed ahead on all upcoming events at Empower Field at Mile High."
