And when the storm had finished raging, when it had done its terrible worst, there was nothing anyone could do but pick up the scattered pieces and try to move forward.
For the children of Smithville, in Monroe County, the blow from last week”s tornado has been particularly hard. Many have lost homes. Some have lost parents, family, friends.
The school, which housed nearly 600 pupils, is so severely damaged that students are now attending classes at Monroe County Advanced Learning Center and Hatley Attendance Center in Amory. For children who grew up together — known each other all their lives — the separation adds to the emotional upheaval.
Enter the power of the tiara, and enough taffeta and tulle to blanket the state of Mississippi. Enter the power of a handful of determined parents and local school students who wanted to give their cross-county peers the gift of one magical night to forget their cares and just be children again.
Enter Prom 2011, post-tornado.
A few days ago, Smithville students and parents weren”t sure the school”s junior-senior prom — scheduled for Saturday night — would even take place. They had lost most of their decorations. Girls were crawling through the rubble of storm-damaged homes, trying to find mud-spattered dresses, shoes, and jewelry. The situation seemed hopeless.
When Smithville parent Susan Grimes solicited donations on her Facebook page Sunday night, she said she expected maybe 15 to 20 dresses. Instead, her plea for help was carried on the wings of technology, rapidly spreading from person to person. In short, her message went viral.
“Before I could even breathe Monday morning, my phone was ringing with people asking what they could do,” Grimes said.
Students from New Hope contributed nearly 1,000 dresses. Students at Heritage Academy and Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus sent more. From organized school efforts to individual acts of kindness, the movement grew.
By Wednesday afternoon, the Amory Community Center was filled with nearly 2,000 prom dresses, along with shiny shoes, and jewelry for the girls and khaki pants, button-down shirts, and dress shoes for the boys.
Local seamstresses, beauticians, decorators, and photographers have also offered their services to make the night special for Smithville students.
“I cried the whole day, every time somebody would drive up with more dresses,” Grimes said. “My eyes are so swollen. To say I was surprised would be like calling the Titanic a small boat.”
”It”s been amazing to see”
Laurel McCoy and JoAnna West, junior class officers at Heritage Academy, contributed shoes to the effort. They said they had so much fun at their prom a few weeks ago that they couldn”t fathom other teenagers having to forego the magic of this classic high school milestone.
“It”s part of the high school experience,” McCoy said. “Every guy and girl should have that experience. We had a wonderful time at ours.”
West agreed.
“We wanted them to just have fun and not have to worry about all the disaster around them,” she said. “It”s been amazing to see how many people brought dresses, shoes, whatever they had.”
Grimes said the kindness of strangers has not only touched Smithville students, but also parents, who are mired in trying to repair their homes, care for their families, and grieve for the lost.
Sixteen people died when last week”s EF-5 tornado plowed through Monroe County. Nearly 200 homes were damaged or destroyed, and most of the business district is gone.
“A lot of the parents couldn”t even deal with this right now, to be honest,” she said. “We had students who had nothing left.”
This year”s senior class of 68 is the largest Smithville has ever had.
“Most of them have been together all their lives,” Grimes continued. “To wake up last Thursday morning and have lost your friends, family, home, school, football field … this is just a chance for them to be together and for one night, forget what they”re going through.”
Because there have been so many donations, Smithville students will be able to select an additional outfit for graduation ceremonies as well. Then they”ll share their bounty with students in Tuscaloosa, Hackleburg, Okolona, Wren, and other nearby communities who are also reeling from the path of destruction left behind in the storms.
“Whatever we receive, we”re going to give to make sure other children have the same chance ours did,” Grimes said. “We told our students, ”These people have done this for you, and we”re going to turn around and make other people smile.””
Columbus psychologist Dr. Jim Lane, who specializes in child psychology, said while the prom may not seem all that important in the face of so much devastation, it”s actually a critical part of helping the storm”s youngest survivors heal emotionally.
It restores a sense of normalcy and routine. It allows them the chance to get together and talk to their peers in a social setting. And it gives them a sense of positivity and purpose as they reach out to peers in other communities who are suffering.
“It”s interesting how children look at things,” Lane said. “They”re very protective of each other, and they can handle situations like that a lot better than adults sometimes. A positive event like this could get their minds off things temporarily. I think it”s going to do these students a lot of good.”
The movement of students helping students extends beyond prom night though.
Students at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science donated $2,500 to the American Red Cross for tornado relief.
Two Caledonia children started a can drive.
Students at nearly every school in Lowndes County have gathered supplies, from 1,000 water bottles contributed by Stokes-Beard Elementary to non-perishables contributed by Franklin Academy.
Across county lines, across socioeconomic, racial, and demographic divides, one clear truth has emerged: When it comes to kindness and charity, local children know no bounds.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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