No teenagers were on the dance floor at this senior prom. But live music filled the recreation hall in the Mountain View Care Center.Dozens of senior citizens, and others with disabilities, filtered into the room, some in wheelchairs, some using walkers.Joe Vasquez, 55, sat in a wheelchair at a table next to his date, Mary Jewett, 54.Vasquez wore a new suit and tie, and Jewett had her hair braided and beaded just for the evening.The couple danced to the “Twist” and “Charleston” as long as Vasquez’s legs would hold up.”I never did go to a prom in high school,” Vasquez said. “I had to go to work as a chef.”The “Dancing in the Moonlight” prom is a second chance for the residents of the Mountain View Care Center and Garden of the Gods Care Center.Most didn’t attend their prom the first time around.Ranging in age from 32 to 84, some residents are retired, others have mental or behavioral disorders. Some have been homeless. All are low-income. Many are high school dropouts; as teens, hardship pushed them into the work force.The dance is the brainchild of the center’s Director of Business Development Myra McFarland, who hopes the dance engenders the residents with a sense of dignity.”I wanted this to be a memorable experience,” she said.Many of the residents spent hours in anticipation of the big night.”All day, they have been talking about this and getting ready, getting their hair done and looking for dates,” said Meya Simms, a certified nursing assistant.Jewett’s first date canceled, then she found Vasquez was available.The couple exchanged smiles, and Vasquez shyly filled Jewett’s name into the ballot to cast his vote for her as prom queen.

Manitou Bike Shop owner Tim Chase with one of his single-speed bikes. Photo by Trudy Thomas/FRESHINK