A pandemic can’t put a stop to everything. It may delay many events, and some of them may indeed be canceled. But when there’s a will there’s a way, and El Reno students are a perfect example.

They want to have fun. They want to dance. And they’re not giving up.

High school juniors and seniors have been working on their own prom. They’re calling it MORP 2020. Spelling prom backwards is a way to denote the event as an alternative to the usual tradition.

It’s by the students and for the students, and they’re getting help from a few parents.

It started several weeks into quarantine. High school senior Chastity Ramos and her friend, Regan Lloyd, went to Chastity’s mother, Nikki Ramos, and told her that many students didn’t want the virus to stop them from an important tradition. Since then, Ramos and the students have been working to set up a prom for the juniors and seniors.

Half a dozen students have gotten involved, as have a few parents. They’ve all stayed in touch through the Group Meet app on their phones.

The prom isn’t being organized by the school — only by students and parents. A tentative date has been set for June 12 at the Elks Lodge.

The plan is for the prom to have most everything a normal prom has including a DJ, dancing, food, a photo booth and limousines.

“I wanted the students to take over,” said Ramos. “They’ll decorate and do things their own way to make it more memorable.”

Sophomores can attend the prom if they are asked by juniors or seniors. Students from other towns can attend if they had already been invited to the canceled school prom.

Ramos said the kids are determined to make it all happen. If the quarantine situation doesn’t get better, the event will be rescheduled further into the year.

“They will have a prom no matter what, even if we have to keep pushing it back,” Ramos said.

The students will be taking common sense precautions. Anyone who feels sick or has a fever will be asked to stay home.

The money for the prom will come from donations, so students won’t have to buy tickets. Around $1,000 must be raised to pay for traditional prom items including decorations.

People can donate by making checks out to the Elks Lodge, or they can bring cash to the location. People can also download Cash App on their phones and donate to $morp2020. If the event ends up canceled, donations will be refunded.