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Seniors set sail at Project Graduation

Posted on June 3, 2010June 3, 2010 by Staff

By Kate Griesmann
Staff Writer

CHAPEL HILL – It’s high school graduation night in Chapel Hill: The diplomas have been handed out, the caps have been tossed and the photos taken. Now what?

For the 17th year, seniors – ahem, new graduates – of the three Chapel Hill-Carrboro high schools are invited to celebrate the night, and their accomplishments, at Project Graduation on June 12 in the UNC Student Union.

Project Graduation is a drug- and alcohol-free, community-based, all-night celebration that includes music, food, activities and door prizes. The event is planned and organized by more than a dozen steering committees made up of parents and students from the three schools, along with plenty of community sponsorship and volunteers that help make the night go smoothly.

From choosing the theme – Caribbean Cruise, submitted by Alex Lynch of CHS – to voting on the T-shirt design, to promoting raffles and musical performances, Project Graduation is an event that celebrates the accomplishments and interests of the area’s graduates.

“It’s such an important night to have a safe thing for the kids to have planned,” said Denise Kennihan, who with her daughter Mackie serves as the East Chapel Hill High School co-chair. Kennihan volunteered at the event last year and was struck by how involved and excited the students were. “Usually you think of high schoolers as not being too excited about too many things. It was really fun to watch.”

Rosie Scanga, a student at Carrboro High School, is one of those who got swept up in the Project Graduation excitement and is, along with her mother Kate Menard, the Carrboro High School co-chair. “I joined last year because some of our family friends had been on the set-up committee,” says Scanga. “We didn’t even know what it was when we signed up.”

More than a year later, Project Graduation has taken over a significant part of Scanga’s extracurricular life. “It’s mainly sports, Project Graduation and studying,” said the senior, who will start at UNC in the fall.

With just a few days left for seniors to register to attend the event, Scanga has been asking all her classmates what their graduation night plans are. “We are trying to get as many people as we can to sign up,” she said. Each senior can invite one guest to the event, but everyone in attendance must have a signed parent consent form on file prior to June 12.

In past years, 80 to 85 percent of graduating seniors have attended Project Graduation. Considering that about half of those bring guests, the planning committee is anticipating more than 1,000 young people to come out next Saturday night.

“I hope everyone comes on the night of graduation,” said Scanga, who is most looking forward to the hypnotist performance. “If all of your friends are going to be there, there is no reason not to go.”
Since 1993, the community has sponsored Project Graduation through donations to make the event cost-free for seniors and their guests. “We are doing fine with fundraising, which had been a big concern earlier in the spring,” said Kennihan. “People heard the message and really rose to the occasion, and now what we’ve found is that we don’t have enough adult volunteers.”

In the past, the event has had as many as 400 adult volunteers, which sounds excessive until Kennihan starts listing the activities run by adult volunteers during the five-hour party: an indoor trampoline, a giant slide, an obstacle course, sumo wrestling, dodge ball competitions, casino games and raffles.

Volunteers don’t have to be a parent, or have any affiliation with the area high schools. As long as they are 21, said Kennihan, they will be welcome to help on graduation night. “We are just so thankful to the community for contributing to Project Graduation,” said Kennihan. “We hope that everyone who has free time on June 12 will think about volunteering!”

Project Graduation 2010 will take place June 12 from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. at the UNC Student Union.

Volunteers are still needed and can sign up online until June 11.

Visit projectgraduationchccs.org to register to volunteer or make a donation.

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