Editor’s note: A previous edition of this story reported that online ticket sales ended Monday night, but ticket sales closed on Friday. We regret this error and apologize for any inconvenience.

Covid-19 has upended plans for school functions for two years. Due to cancellations and postponements, Bearden’s last Winter Formal was during the 2019-2020 school year – right before the world shut down.

The Winter Formal dance has now become a tradition for Bearden, and after a year hiatus, “WiFo” is set to make its return on Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m.

Sponsored by Key Club, members are determined to maximize profits from the dance in order to donate them to two charities of choice.

“We will split the money between the Ronald McDonald House and another charity,” Key Club President Sara Bailey said.

To maximize profits, Key Club will recycle materials used for previous dances.

“A loose theme, which is ‘Starry Night,’ will incorporate a gold and blue color scheme into the usual white and silver winter formal decorations,” Key Club Sponsor Mrs. Autumn Suranofsky said.

The majority of money raised will come from ticket sales. The expected revenue from the dance is predicted to be between $1,500 and $2,500, which will be split between the two charities.

This year will differ from previous Winter Formal dances because of the mask mandate, but Mrs. Suranofsky said that students will still have a blast despite the mandate.

“It is a mild inconvenience,” Mrs. Suranofsky told students in regards to the new Covid-19 policies. “But we can have a good time – mask or no mask.”

Bailey is optimistic for the turnout and has been getting positive reactions from students who are ready for the dance.

“A lot of people I’ve talked to have been really excited about it,” Bailey said.

Other aspects of the dance will remain the same as previous years, such as the location at Bridgewater Place.

If students have bought a ticket online, they should print out the receipt and bring it to Mrs. Amy Davis in the library for a physical copy that allows their dance admission.

The Key Club members have worked hard to make this dance even more amazing than previous years. Bailey and the rest of Key Club are hoping that this year’s dance is a success and that it brings the tradition of Winter Formal back with style.

“You always want to improve on previous years,” Bailey said.

With the hard work of Key Club members and sponsors, the return of Winter Formal is sure to be one for the books.