B-R got bumped by a Garth Brooks concert — but Gillette is making prom even more special

BRIDGEWATER — No high school student wants a lesson in business contracts in the final weeks of their senior year. But, as the lesson goes, a contract is a contract, and if it’s in the contract… well, it’s in the contract.

The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School Class of 2022 will not be having their Senior Prom at Gillette Stadium on May 20, as was the plan. But they will have a prom, after all, with Gillette Stadium footing the bill for prom night at another local venue and providing the Class of 2022 with a bonus “field day” at Gillette, where students will have the New England Patriots’ iconic home field to themselves for a couple of hours and have a chance to tour the facilities.

How the conflict occurred

About two weeks ago, heading into Easter weekend, word came from Gillette Stadium event coordinators the May 20 prom date would have to be canceled due to a conflict in scheduling. On Saturday, May 21, Garth Brooks was on the books for a tour stop, and as can happen in the fast-moving event venue industry, a second show was added for Friday, May 20.

The B-R Class of 2022 booked the venue in August 2021, but according to Stacey James, vice president of media relations for the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, such contracts come with the clear and contractual understanding Gillette Stadium can postpone or cancel for any reason with five days notice before the event date.

“That’s the risk with having an event here, and it’s very well communicated when we do the contract,” James said during an interview with the Taunton Daily Gazette on Tuesday.

“It’s communicated in writing and verbally when signing the contracts. The last thing we want to do is cancel or change event dates. But we’re a football team, a soccer team and events venue… we host events of all sizes. We just had the supercross event here this weekend, and that was probably booked months ago, not years ago. So we have to make that work and scheduling can be challenging.”

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A new venue and a field day

However, there remains a strong chance B-R seniors won’t long remember the contractual details, or missing out on their long-awaited night at Gillette Stadium, and instead have a blast with a reimagined, expanded prom and senior class celebration.

As word was getting around town about the canceled prom, and concern among students and parents fueling panic about the fate of prom night, Bridgewater-Raynham Senior Class Advisor and special education teacher Casey Rodrigues was on the phone with Gillette working it out.

And while the panic outran the proposed solution for most of the weekend, Rodrigues says Gillette management quickly extended a generous offer to make sure B-R seniors would have a proper prom night.

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“Gillette has been wonderful,” Rodrigues told the Taunton Daily Gazette on Wednesday. “Right from the start, from the point they called to let us know of the conflict they were already actively looking for a solution. They worked to make it right from day one.”

First, Gillette offered up a new date, Friday, May 27, and to cover expenses for the rescheduled event. But concern of proximity to the Memorial Day holiday weekend complicated that possibility.

Gillette also offered to cover expenses for an alternative venue on the same night, May 20, and because students would be missing out on their visit to the stadium, Gillette offered to also host the B-R Class of 2022 for a field day, an exclusive, highly coveted experience that was not part of the prom package.

The new plan includes prom night on May 20 at the Four Points Sheraton in Norwood. But before that, on Monday, May 2, from 9 to 11 a.m., B-R seniors will have their bonus-round field day at Gillette Stadium. For the field day, Gillette is providing transportation to and from the stadium, an assortment of games, activities and inflatables, snacks and refreshments and two hours to hang out on the field.

“They’ll have the music blaring, the B-R logo all over the stadium and on the big screens and two hours of unrestricted field, to play games or play football or soccer or whatever. So they are very excited.

“At first, they were understandably disappointed,” Rodrigues said about students’ reaction to the change of plans, “but once they got past that they really wanted to make sure it was still accessible to everyone. If we changed the venue, or decided to stay with Gillette, they just wanted to be sure everyone would still be able to go, that it would be accessible to everyone.”

Rodrigues says the decision was strongly in favor of keeping the planned date and going with a new venue.

“Now, I think they’re really pumped for the field day. Really, from the beginning, they had a very positive attitude about it and handled it with a lot of grace.”

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Budget now allows for some special 'extras'

Rodrigues says with Gillette covering expenses for the new prom venue, there was “some extra fun money” in the budget “to take it up a notch.” So far, they’ve been able to secure a professional photographer for the night and a few other extras are in the works.

James says, despite the necessary contractual language and need to occasionally reschedule event dates such cancellations are unusual during prom season, as it is not typically Gillette’s busy season, and with the New England Revolution and Major League Soccer schedule set well in advance. But due to pent up demand leftover from the COVID-19 shutdown, May is looking to be a busy time at Gillette, with a few new dates coming up on short notice.

“We would have done another date at the stadium, and covered that, all on us. I think we offered a date a week later, or we could have done another date. But they wanted to stick with that date, which is understandable, and we’re happy to cover expenses for that. We know that proms come with many commitments made well in advance," James said.

“We hope they can still have a memorable experience at Gillette with the field day, and have a great prom, too."

Taunton Daily Gazette staff writer Jon Haglof can be reached at jhaglof@tauntongazette.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Bridgewater-Raynham prom bumped by concert, Gillette to host field day