Hundreds of Hays CISD seniors will be safely off the roads come graduation night at Project Graduation events, like this one at Lehman High School last year. Seniors are locked in for the night to celebrate graduation without drinking or drugs; instead they dance, play games and stay up all night saying goodbye to friends. (Courtesy photo)
by KIM HILSENBECK
Springtime brings with it the promise of hope and a bright future for millions of high school seniors across the country.
It’s a festive season. And graduation is one of the biggest events of the school year, complete with parties and gatherings to toast old friends and new beginnings.
But graduation celebrations can be deadly for high school seniors.
In fact, seven deaths from alcohol-related accidents during graduation season in 1979 spurred a community in Maine to create Project Graduation – an all-night alcohol and drug free lock-in party.
The concept spread to other states; at Hays High School, Project Graduation is in its 13th year. Lehman High School has held Project Graduation for about five years.
The event goal, says Hays High Project Graduation committee member Karen Sadler, is to save lives by offering a fun, alternative celebration for high school seniors.
“You can have fun without drinking,” said Sadler, “and they’ll never forget these memories of one of the last times they’ll all be together in the same place.”
Sadler said that during the Hays High event at Austin’s Park – an amusement theme park – seniors will enjoy the games and activities at the venue. The committee also booked a comedian and a DJ, and will have contests, prizes and plenty of food.
“The kids stay up all night – it’s a really fun time for them,” Sadler said.
Donna Nicholson, chairwoman for the Lehman event to be held on the Lehman campus this year, said they will have games, activities, music and food for the seniors.
Chaperones will also be at both events throughout the night.
All Project Graduation committee members are volunteers, typically because they are parents of a graduating senior. While not financially supported by the district, administrators encourage Project Graduation activities.
Supporting Seniors
Parents and seniors, along with community residents and local businesses, support Project Graduation through monetary contributions, fundraisers and in-kind donations. Money raised goes toward paying for the venue, food, prizes and more.
Sadler, a teacher at Elm Grove Elementary, said Project Graduation benefits
the community as well in keeping seniors safe and off the roads graduation night.
So far this year, the Hays Project Graduation committee has raised $17,000. They expect to raise about $25,000 to help cover the expenses for the event. Sadler said the community has been very supportive.
The Hays High committee anticipates more than half of the graduating seniors will attend the all-night event.
Due to a glitch in the tax filing status for Lehman’s Project Graduation, Nicholson is not able to directly solicit funds for the event, but she said she would gratefully accept donations from any business in the Hays CISD community.
Here are some upcoming Project Graduation community fundraising events:
HAYS HIGH SCHOOL
April 12 - Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A; competition between Lehman and Hays
April 16 - Donkey Basketball at Hays High (small gymnasium) 7 p.m.
April 22 - U-8K, 8 a.m., Shelton, www.haysprojectgraduation.org
April 28 - Buda Wiener Dog Races, selling fruit and nachos
May 3 - Powder Puff football at Hays High
LEHMAN HIGH SCHOOL
April 12 - Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A
TBD - Family nights at area middle schools
TBD - Breakfast sandwich sales at Lehman
TBD - Mr. Lehman contest and spaghetti dinner
