The upcoming Night To Remember prom promises to be a magical evening, both for those in attendance and for the children it will benefit.

The Oct. 19 gala, which will be held from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Washington Yacht and Country Club, is a fundraiser for ACCEPT and ExCEL, two local organizations that work together serving children with special needs and their families.

“We want this prom to be fun,” said Allison Crisp, ACCEPT’s founder and director. “If you want to be dressed to the ‘T’ in a tux or gown, that’s great, or you can just come in your Sunday best. We just want you to be comfortable and to come out and have fun.”

Tickets are $25 per person or $50 per couple. The cost includes appetizers, one photo memento per couple and dancing to the band, Magic Pipers. There will also be a beer and wine bar, according to Crisp.

A slide show presentation starring the children served by ACCEPT and ExCEL will be another highlight of the evening.

The concept of the gala was conceived by Crystal Woolard, and families of special needs children are hard at work to stage the event.

“I’ve had several people who dropped out of high school tell me they were coming, that they wanted to be a part of this,” Crisp said.

Proceeds will be shared by ACCEPT, a support group and outreach program serving special needs families, and ExCEL, a program that hosts sports activities for special needs children.

“We are in the final process of becoming a full-fledged nonprofit organization,” Crisp said. “We want to see this grow and to see it started in other counties.”

Tickets for the Night To Remember prom may be purchased at Washington Women’s Center. For more information, call 252-945-5627 or 252-623-9381.

Local businesses, civic groups and individuals willing to help sponsor the event may send checks, payable to ACCEPT, to 1235 Terrapin Track Rd., Washington, NC 27889 or 4364 VOA Rd., Washington, NC 27889.