Take your partners, deb balls are back

IT’S been many years since Heathcote was home to a deb ball, but local parent Kylie Ryan is hoping to bring the event back to town.

She said it would need a minimum of eight couples to be viable and has put out a call for secondary students in years 11 and 12 who would be interested in taking part.

“I’m also happy to open it up to any of the previous year 11 and 12 kids that have missed out because of COVID, there’s no age restriction really,” she said.

“I don’t mind, and I don’t think the event planners mind, because if we get our own venue it’s not connected to a school.

“I’d applied for a deb position for my daughter in Bendigo and she missed out, they were inundated with people, so I thought okay, I’m going to try and help our kids out this side.

Ms Ryan said she wanted young people to have something to look forward to.

“The last few years have been so full on and hard and difficult for these kids,” she said. “They’ve been pulled out of school, there’s a lot of depression and anxiety and there’s a lot of school refusal even now that I’m aware of.

“So I thought I could get them something that was wholesome, where they’re learning older dances, they’re meeting other peers, you know just a generally nice environment.”

Ms Ryan said she had two different event organisers looking at venues in the Heathcote and Seymour areas.

“I’m just trying to pull it away a bit from Bendigo, partly because there’s not a lot for the local girls here, and also because Bendigo seems to be booked out everywhere that does run it.”

Ms Ryan said deb balls were now often called presentation balls, which reflected a more modern approach to the event.

She also said she welcomed sponsorship from any interested local businesses who would like to help teenagers who would not otherwise be able to afford to take part.

Anyone wanting to register their interest in either taking part or supporting the event can contact Kylie Ryan on 0405 314 114.