Gearing up for Project Graduation.
While students are gearing up for Thanksgiving and Winter Break, the rest of the community is looking ahead to something much bigger: graduation. Every year, Montclair High School puts on Project Graduation as a way to ensure the graduating seniors have a safe, fun, final day of high school following the graduation ceremony on June 23, 2015.
After graduation on June 23, seniors will get on buses and drive through Montclair in celebration before heading to a secret destination for the night. According to the event website, “[Project Graduation] starts with a bus ride to a surprise venue, where food and entertainment are provided right through the wee hours, and ends with breakfast at 5 a.m.”
The Project Graduation event is co-chaired this year by Beverly Place and Jill Sands; this is Sands’ first time as chair of the event, and Place’s second. “The goal of [Project Graduation] is [for the students] to have a safe and really fun night,” said Sands. “They don’t know where they’re going so the element of surprise is fun to add; this year it’s going to be pretty special. Only a very small group of people know where they’re going. It’s great that your kids have a safe and fun way to spend their last night in high school.”
Sands added that in the past, over 90 percent of the graduating class attended Project Graduation.
Additionally, according to Sands, the current goal is to raise $55,000 for the event; for this reason, the chairs of the event and MHS are reaching out to the community for help. Between events throughout the year and community donations, they hope to meet their goal.
One event coming up is the Holiday Antique and Gift Bazaar, which will take place on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Montclair High School Laraja Gallery. For interested vendors, a space can be reserved for $100, which includes the display table. Vendors are able to set up from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., preceding the start of the event.
According to Sands, there will also be a parents’ dance and spring dinner later in the year. All money raised from these events will go towards Project Graduation.
Residents of Montclair, family members and friends of graduates are encouraged to help bring Project Graduation to life by participating in the upcoming events and staying up-to-date with information as the program develops.
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