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COURTESY ‘ILIMA AT LEIHANO
Ellen Cottingham, left, and Island Pacific Academy student Ashley Arakawa enjoyed good conversation Wednesday at the senior prom at ‘Ilima at Leihano senior living community.
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COURTESY ‘ILIMA AT LEIHANO
Lila and Ken Ashitomi were named senior prom queen and king Wednesday at an intergenerational event that brought together residents of ‘Ilima at Leihano senior living community and Island Pacific Academy students.
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It was a senior prom in more ways than one when kupuna from the ‘Ilima at Leihano senior living community danced and made friends with students from Island Pacific Academy on Wednesday night.
The theme of the prom was, appropriately, “At Last We See the Light,” when the annual intergenerational event, initiated in 2017, was held at ‘Ilima after years of postponement due to the pandemic.
Besides the dancing, there were dessert tastings, red carpet arrivals, a photo booth and games. Students from the school’s senior class made corsages, decorated the residential center and provided entertainment. A student DJ played songs familiar to the older generation — from Elvis to the “Electric Slide” — along with contemporary hits.
Amelie Kitakis, a senior at Island Pacific who helped organize the event, said it was supposed to be revived in 2023 but was postponed once again because of the pandemic.
“It’s incredibly inspiring that this heartwarming student-senior event has been able to endure the challenges and return even more vibrant than before,” Kitakis said in an announcement.