Foster Cattaraugus Hosts Second Annual Adult Prom Fundraiser August 9
Foster Cattaraugus Hosts Second Annual Adult Prom Fundraiser August 9
Dance the night away for a great cause at Foster Cattaraugus’ masquerade-themed prom, supporting foster care needs in Cattaraugus County.
No awkward slow dances, curfews, or teen drama - just an amazing crowd of adults dancing the night away for a cause that matters. The First Annual Adult Prom, hosted last year by Foster Cattaraugus, proved that prom really is better the second time around! If you’d like to be part of the glamour and fun this year, get your tickets now for the Second Annual Adult Prom to benefit foster care in Cattaraugus County on Saturday, August 9th from 6:00-11:00pm at Woodside Tavern on the Range at 3319 W. River Rd. in Olean, NY.
Amanda Clute, founder of Foster Cattaraugus, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting foster care in Cattaraugus County, said the response to last year’s prom was outstanding - so much so that this year’s prom is extended by an hour due to feedback received last year. “We stopped at 10:00pm last year,” said Clute, “and everyone was like, ‘I wish it went longer,’ so we decided to extend it to 11:00pm this year.” Indeed, guests are in for a full night of fun, beginning with a cocktail hour with charcuterie board from 6:00-7:00pm. “Toad’s Butcher Shop is sponsoring our meal and preparing that for us, and ZET’s Italian Ice is doing our desserts,” said Clute. “We have formal photography, so a lot of those things that we had last year that worked well are coming back.”
Cocktail hour is the perfect time for photos and participating in the basket raffle. The event will also include two incredible door prizes that guests can enter to win! A $20 gift card or a $20 cash donation at the door provides an entry into the drawing for a pair of 1.00 carat diamond stud earrings ($900 value) from ASK Design Jewelers or a 24 x 36” original painting “Aspens Poverty Hill, Ellicottville” by artist Sean Huntington ($950 value). “We’re asking for a $20 donation or a $20 gift card that we could use for kiddos that come into care; we use gift cards a lot, so that would be helpful.”
Foster Cattaraugus has been supporting local foster families since spring of 2024. “A few of us work in the child welfare realm, and we noticed that as the number of children went up in care, the funds coming in from the state did not increase, unfortunately,” Clute said. “There were a lot of gaps that didn’t allow children to have normative experiences... We like to make sure kids have everything they need for sports or to go to camp, or maybe they need bunk beds when they come in. That’s a lot of drain on the funding that we have for foster care, so we try to supplement what the county can’t pay for kids in care so that they have the most traditional, normative experience in foster care that they can have. It takes off the burden of some of that for the foster parent who maybe doesn’t have that upfront to put out for a kiddo.”
The adult prom is Foster Cattaraugus’ biggest fundraiser of the year, and tickets are still available. Order soon, as last year’s event sold out! Tickets for this 21 and older event are $40 (single) or $60 (couple) and include dinner and dessert. A cash bar is available, and dinner (salad and pasta bar) will be served at 8:00pm. It wouldn’t be prom without a theme, so consider wearing a mask for this year’s masquerade theme! Learn more on Foster Cattaraugus’ Facebook page and purchase tickets online at https://lu.ma/9lk98mu5.
For those interested in becoming a foster parent, there is an informational meeting on Thursday, August 21st at 6:00pm at JCC Cattaraugus Campus in the Magnano Room. Questions? Contact Clute at Amanda.Clute@dfa.state.ny.us or 716-338-3016.