FINAL FOUR: Help Us Crown Prom King & Queen for Olivia Caldwell Foundation Butterfly Ball
Olivia's mother Katie created the Olivia Caldwell Foundation to honor the memory of her daughter, and to try and help parents who like her...were dealing with the unthinkable.
A butterfly can be found not only in the logo of the Olivia Caldwell Foundation but in the name of their biggest fundraiser of the year, the Butterfly Ball. This adult prom is an evening of dancing and 21 plus fun, including the spin the bottle wine pull, a unique custom cocktail created by Backwards Distillery, a silent auction, great food, and a chance to take prom pictures.
The King & Queen competition has been fierce and we are now down to the final four. Vote now and help us crown the 2022 Butterfly Ball Prom King and Queen.
Bryan & Allison Vandal:
Bryan and Allison are both an amazingly generous couple. They truly have a call to serve thy neighbor. Allison is a 1st grade teacher here in Casper, and Bryan owns Alumitech, a window and door company; also part owners in a gym called Caliber Fitness. They are constantly helping others by donating their time, skills, and services; even donations. They are the type of people who give without the expectation of even reward or praise. They do it solely out of the kindness of their hearts.
The couple has also overcome some amazing hardships. Both are very vocal about their struggle with infertility. They fought hard for their beautiful babies. When they found out they were having twins, it was like everyone’s prayers had been answered. While pregnant with the twins, Allison went into premature labor. She was brought down to Denver where she had both boys. They were so little they could fit in one hand. Those boys were like their parents and fought hard to survive. Today, they just recently turned 4 and thriving! And were even blessed with another little girl who is one.
Rafael Trevizo & Sharon Chapman:
Seasoned Love
Rafael and I met purely by chance.
Both of us (through friends) had been convinced to go on a dating site. Both of us had three consecutive days of the weirdest experiences in online dating one would want in a lifetime. On the fourth day we both decided to leave the site. It was on that day that our pictures showed up on one another sites. We both sent a message the same hour, questioning one another, asking one another if the other was REAL.
Since that day, we have become the greatest of friends and companions anyone could ask for! It was the beginning of the Pandemic and meeting in person was out of the question. So we began our relationship the old fashion way - writing, texting and eventually calling one another. After 4 months of getting to know one another through our lifetime joys and disappointments, we finally met! And it has been love, passion and adventure since then!
It is amazing what love will do. It makes you feel so happy. So joyful. You begin to see positives during the most questionable times of our lives. Being positive is easier with him. Everything I do has so much more meaning to it.
When we both discovered the Butterfly Ball, we shared one another’s feeling about what prom was like during our high school years. Rafael never attended any prom
And I went with a cousin. Neither one of us had memorable events. So we decided we were going to go to the Butterfly Ball with the same kind of attitude that we are taking into 2022. Living out our lives….just not surviving.
There is nothing more satisfying than being happy as you age. I was never into romance but boy………is he! Full of such passion. He writes love letters, open doors, my priorities are his. Growing old is inevitable, but growing up with Rafael is optional.
Dana Bonander & Cece Tolin:
Cece Tolin and Dana Bonander began dating 12/13/16, when Cece was manager of Vintage Fine Wine and Spirits while also doing catering, and Dana was a salesman at the family business of Inter-Mountain Pipe and Threading. 5 years later they own a beautiful remodeled home in the big tree area of Casper.
Cece is in charge of marketing for the Boys and Girls Club, excited for her first major event coming up February 5th in the Reverse Raffle dinner. Dana is now VP of Inter-Mountain Pipe and Threading, and manages Bonander Properties. With such a full plate, 2 years ago they also started a small business…Ask Wellness, which sells locally produced CBD products.
They also raise Dana’s 13 year old daughter who is into dance and art. Helping her flourish in her many desires, including graphic design, pottery, drawing and glassblowing (which Dana has done for over 10 years). Dana continues to blow glass, although due to moving and remodeling not much time has been spent in the glass shop. Cece misses her catering and making exquisite dishes, but finds ways to nourish her love by cooking for friends and family. She will soon give her love of food to the Boys and Girls Club by raffling off a few catering experiences.
Both Dana and Cece find ways to give back to the community. Cece with her work with Iris Clubhouse and now with Boys and Girls Club. Dana with his work with the Beautification Committee of Casper and now with Summerfest for Mills.
What better couple for Queen and King then a couple of entrepreneurs and the couples’ devotion to the betterment of Casper’s amazing community.
Shane Vincent & Elizabeth Vickers:
Shane and Elizabeth have been dating for one year and are both natives of Casper who spend the majority of their time serving both their community and their country.
Shane is a Sergeant First Class in the United States Army with thirteen years of service. He is an Active Duty Airborne Infantryman that became the first person from Wyoming to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. He is also the only Tomb Guard in history to stand watch over the Unknown Soldier for 24 hours straight without relief; once during Hurricane Sandy and again during the blizzard of 2017. Now he is a U.S. Army recruiter in Casper who was named Top Active Duty Recruiter in his Battalion in 2021. When he is not working, he volunteers his free time serving on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Wyoming Veteran’s Museum as well as being the Executive Officer for the Casper Mountain Young Marines Youth Program. For his work with these two organizations and many others, he has been awarded the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and the Presidential Volunteer Service Medal.
Elizabeth works full time as a Sergeant in the Wyoming National Guard and has six years of service between the Army Reserves and the National Guard. She is the only Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Specialist Sergeant in the 960th Brigade Support Battalion and was one of the volunteers from the National Guard who mobilized to Washington D.C. in order to protect the Capitol.
Last year she also completed the grueling twenty six mile Bataan Death March Memorial Ruck March in memory of Leonard L. Robinson (a Bataan Death March survivor from Wyoming).
On the weekends, Elizabeth drives two hours from Camp Guernsey to Casper so that the two of them can be together. She is always accompanied on her road trip by her dog, Kai who spends his weekends with Shane’s dogs, Kodiak and Luna. You can usually find them volunteering for miscellaneous events around Casper and the surrounding area. From historical presentations about the Tomb, to military color guards, to charity fund raisers, they try to get out into the community and enjoy everything Casper has to offer together. They both love to dress up whether it is a military ball, a themed costume party or just a popular movie premier, they strive to be the best or wildest looking couple there. This is their second year in a row attending the Butterfly Ball and it has been their goal since last year to win the King and Queen Competition.