Great fun at Gameworks

By Connie Lael Wood

For Puyallup Tribal News
Published on: May 29, 2008

At midnight after the prom May 17, Maryanne James organized 55 Chief Leschi students and 15 staff members and parent volunteers to board buses and head off for six more hours of fun at Gameworks in Seattle. Thanks to the generosity of the Puyallup Tribal Council, who provided funding for the event, students were able to continue celebrating in a safe, sober and exciting environment throughout the night. Gameworks is a two-story video game parlor in downtown Seattle complete with everything from virtual skiing and auto racing, to Dance Dance Revolution, basketball and foosball. Students – and staff – played games into the early morning hours with special cards that allowed them unlimited play.

 According to student David Murray, there was “a good group atmosphere” at the event as students played games and socialized. Danelle Reed-Interbitzen of Kwawachee provided items that were raffled off every half-hour all night long. Some of the prizes were gas cards, movie tickets, gift cards and sweatshirts. At 2 a.m. a buffet dinner was served. At 6 a.m., as the sun rose over Seattle, the happy but exhausted students and their chaperones boarded the buses once more for Puyallup.

This event has been an important part of prom night for several years now. Students are provided with a safe place to continue celebrating even after prom is over. Students were enthusiastic when asked to describe their evening. “Gameworks was fun!” said Katie Ward. Levi Salway, another participant, summed up the event with one word: “awesometastic!”

A special thanks goes to all the chaperones who stayed up in the early morning hours to make this a safe and joyful event: Cheryl Mayes, Sylvia Murray, Shanti Kessler, Michael Anderson, Kristi Helms-Smith, Angie Wilson, Todd Frantz, Sunrise James, Shannon Wilson, Rhett, Maryanne James and the bus drivers.

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