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Prospect prom kids pick venue $20,000 bash will be at Red Lion, VIBES By Jonel Aleccia PROSPECT � Prospect High School prom-goers have picked the perfect places for their $20,000 party. The winners of a national contest co-sponsored by the U.S. Air Force will begin their evening May 19 with dinner and a deejay performance at the Red Lion Hotel in Medford. They�ll follow it with a post-prom concert featuring the acoustic pop rock group Sister Hazel held at VIBES Main 1, a downtown Medford teen dance club. "This is a great place," said Claudia Fowler, Prospect junior class adviser, as she previewed the VIBES dance floor this week. Festive touches will include limousine rides, tuxedo rentals and flowers, all courtesy of an Internet promotion put on by StudentAware Communications of Florida. Karin Mueller, a 17-year-old exchange student from Germany, was picked from more than 32,000 entrants as the winner of a "perfect prom." Mueller and the Prospect student body received their award Tuesday. The prom and the post-prom concert will be open only to the 70 students of the rural high school and their guests. "It will be a closed event," said Tom Lutes, vice president of StudentAware. That means the crowd could top out at 150 to 200 people, perhaps among the smallest audiences for Sister Hazel, the rock group known for hits such as "Change Your Mind" and "Champagne High." Sister Hazel was picked for the promotion because of its popularity, its upbeat image � and its affordability, Lutes said. "We went to look at Christina Aguilera but she was a little too expensive," he added. "She would have broken the budget." Air Force organizers said they were pleased that Sister Hazel will perform, even for a relatively small crowd. "We�re happy that it�s here in Oregon," said Col. Marianne R. Rogers, chief of the Air Force marketing division. "We want young people here to know what opportunities are available." Targeting potential recruits was part of the motivation for the perfect prom contest, Rogers said. The Air Force wanted a way to reach kids that would resonate with their lives. The combination of prom prize packages offered through Internet entries seemed to fit, Rogers said. In addition, the Air Force wanted to offer young people a positive message. Hence, the campaign slogan: "Be safe, be smart, be sober." "More than anything, it�s branding," Rogers said. "When I say �Toys for Tots,� what do you think? The Marines? That�s right." Tom Cole, director of the nonprofit agency that operates VIBES, said he was pleased to cooperate with the school, the Air Force and a national youth advocacy group on a project that shares the goal of using popular culture to reach young people. "It�s a big deal for VIBES," he said. "It will draw national attention to this model we think is very innovative." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.