SENIOR PROM: Celebrating a Night of Royal Elegance
Published 10:41 am Monday, June 30, 2025
Michael Rutledge and Cassandra Foshee of Cahaba Mental Health in Selma were the prom king and queen at the senior prom. | Photos by Ladybug’s View LLC
Michael Rutledge is crowned the prom king at the senior prom. | Photos by Ladybug’s View LLC
Attendees enjoy a dance while the music plays at the senior prom. | Photos by Ladybug’s View LLC
Attendees enjoy a dance while the music plays at the senior prom. | Photos by Ladybug’s View LLC
Attendees enjoy a dance while the music plays at the senior prom. | Photos by Ladybug’s View LLC
A couple poses for a photo at the senior prom. | Photos by Ladybug’s View LLC
Here are specialty cookies for the senior prom. | Photos by Ladybug’s View LLC
D.J. Pettaway, son of Karen and Dorial Pettaway, owners of The Resource Center) attends the senior prom. | Photos by Ladybug’s View LLC
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By Christine Weerts
For The Selma Times-Journal
When Karen Pettaway learned that some of her special needs clients – from 18 to 60 years old – had never been to a Senior Prom, she decided to change that. In Spring 2022, The Resource Center in Orrville hosted its first Senior Prom – the first for most of the adults attending — and has hosted one every year since.
On Saturday night, June 14, 26 adults from her Center and the Cahaba Mental Health in Selma, dressed in tuxes, glittery gowns and dancing shoes, arrived at the magically transformed building for Prom 2025: Calling all Princes and Princesses, a Night of Royal Elegance. They were joined by staff and family members.
“We try to create everything you would find at a prom,” said Pettaway, who with her husband Dorial Pettaway are co-owners of The Resource Center. Those prom essentials include a playlist of dance music by local DJ Reginald Morgan, a castle backdrop with balloon sculpture for photographs of all the attendees, a glitzy dining area, and even a purple prom dress made of cupcakes and cookies of castles, carriages and stars.
Donations from the community help bring prom night alive, and several businesses have supported all three years of the prom, including bouquets, boutonnières and wrist corsages from The Flower Basket, food from Hancock’s BBQ, decor by Marchina Alexander, edible treats and gifts by Ronda Woods, Morganna Norgard, Kendra Broadway, Morgan Devereux and Joann Oden. There were even fancy prom dresses donated by Jeana Ann Murphy in Prattville.
There is even the annual crowning of the Prom King and Queen: This year the honor was won by Michael Rutledge and Cassandra Foshee, both of Cahaba Mental Health.
The Pettaways founded the Resource Center in 2015, as “A Place to Laugh Again” to provide welcome care and a home-like atmosphere for special needs adults, including their son, D.J. The program serves ages 17-66, from 9 to 2 Monday through Thursday teaching living skills, arts and crafts, computer skills and providing field trips. If you are interested in the program, call Karen Pettaway at The Resource Center, 334-996-8000.
“We at The Resource Center – staff and clients – say thank you Lord and thank you to everyone that made this year Prom a Night of Royal Elegance,” Pettaway said. Clients and staff are already talking about next year, she said, when they hope to add one missing prom essential: A limousine.
