RONAN  —  It was a ghoulish Saturday night at the Ronan Community Center as zombies of all ages were shaking it up at the “Zombie Prom”. The prom had all sorts of spine-chilling fun, from zombie makeup stations, a DJ and dancing, to a Jeep Wrangler up for auction.  This was the second year that Sharla Talsma of Timberlane Auto organized the event. What started as “something fun for the kids” turned into a spooky swinging party that raised money to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County.

 Zombie makeup aficionados Talsma and Shelley Cordis were the designated makeup artists at the event and offered a few tips to achieve that perfect zombie look. “It is best to come in with a clean face,” Cordis advised. “Then we start off by asking if they want to be a fresh zombie or long dead zombie.” Cordis went on to describe the various methods for a successful zombie transformation including proper application techniques and color schemes based on “what kind of ‘zombie-look’ they are going for.”   

Decorated with spiderwebs and streamers, the ghostly dance floor was filled with just about every kind of zombie. Rozlyn Bluemel, age 13, of Ronan came as a prom queen zombie, decked out in a crown and pink dress, along with a few leaves in her hair.  She said she was looking forward to dancing as soon as her zombie makeover was done. There were pirate zombies, bride zombies and even tiny zombies present at the prom as seven-year-old Tyariah Morigeau showed off her hair-raising  moves on the dance floor with the help of her cousin Tashyna Matt, age 12.

John Schnase of the Boys and Girls Club said the event raised $476 along with the $1,100 raised from the Jeep auction.