The Class of 2020 has been shortchanged.

Students across the globe missed out on the togetherness of their final semester of high school.

Not to mention many milestone events.

Athletes couldn’t compete. For some it was the last time and for others it was the last chance. There were no more opportunities to achieve academic greatness in the classroom. Class trips were canceled. Many graduations were held online. Nobody had a chance to say their goodbyes.

However, a group of Tamaqua parents wanted to give their seniors one more opportunity to take a memory with them that will last forever. A chance for some closure.

“We were going back-and-forth,” said Tara Stauffenberg, parent of a graduating Tamaqua senior. “Should we? Could we? We decided to try it. We had talked to Capriottis. That’s where the prom has always been held. We really wanted it to be there.”

After some organizing and planning, Tamaqua will officially have a prom at Capriottis on July 24 from 5-10 p.m.

“We’ve been doing most of our communication on Facebook,” said Stauffenberg. “We put out a save the date. When we get the details of how much it’s going to cost, we will continue to communicate through Facebook.”

There will be music, dancing and a night of normalcy to enjoy next month.

“We talked to the photographer who normally does it and he was available. We were able to secure a DJ. So it kind of all came together. Everybody that we talked to was really excited to be a part of this and make it happen for the kids. It’s pretty much going to be a normal prom.”

Tara’s son, Barron, is a senior track-and-field star who missed out on many opportunities during the spring. He made it to PIAA state competition last year as a junior and will head to Shippensburg University in the fall to further his education.

“Prom was one of the biggest things that I was upset about losing,” Barron said. “Having it now is so cool. I get to dress up and hang out with my friends and do the stuff that I could have potentially missed. It’ll be one of the last nights that we get to see each other as an entire class. The parents worked very hard to get it done so we can enjoy it.”

Full details, including cost, are not yet known. Tara Stauffenberg said the school district is trying to help.

“The school district has been cooperative and they’re doing what they can as much as possible,” she said. “They’re working with us and that’s all we can ask for. Technically they don’t have to, we took it on ourselves, but they’ve been gracious enough to do what they can for us. They want to help as much as possible. We are still working on the details in regard to how much it’s going to cost. We want it to be affordable for the kids.”

Anyone interested in contributing can call 570-527-4965, or look up the “TAHS Senior Prom” Facebook group page.