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05/20/2015 09:30 AMFor the first time, Guilford High School’s Project Graduation Committee has offered an early bird discount for those who registered for the graduating class’ annual, up-all-night celebration held this year on Friday, June 19. The incentive benefited both the committee and those registering.
“About half of the class signed up already, which is amazing and the parents seemed appreciative of a $20 discount,” said committee member Terry O’Hara. “In the past, the trend has been that everything happens in a flurry over the last few weeks, so the early registrations have helped the committee.”
Project Graduation has also gotten plenty of helping hands from community members and businesses, having already hosted several successful fundraisers with more to come.
A pasta dinner was held at St. George’s Church, and the Ciocca family, who owns Anthony’s of Guilford, donated all of the food, including pasta, sauce, bread, salad, and more. A mother of a member of the senior class donated most of the desserts.
In addition to the pasta dinner, the Palumbo family donated supplies, space, and time to hold a car wash; North Guilford Nurseries provided plants for a plant sale that sold out; and hundreds of frozen pizzas were ordered through Farina’s Pizzas.
“The pasta dinner was really amazing with a fabulous turnout,” said O’Hara. “The community support has been just wonderful.”
With those successful fundraisers in the books, the Project Graduation Committee is still going with an ongoing balloon and sign sale. Balloons and yard signs for graduates can be ordered online at ghsprojgrad2015.weebly.com. Pickup will be the day before graduation, June 18, from 4 to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria of Adams Middle School.
Other local businesses supporting the initiative include Frogurt Time, which will donate a portion of all sales on May 30 and 31 with the mention of Project Graduation, along with Crystal Hanger Cleaners and Costumes & Characters, which will donate $10 for each mention of Project Graduation.
Seniors can still buy their ticket ($75) for Project Graduation online at ghsprojgrad2015.weebly.com. The chaperoned, all-night, substance-free event for graduates will be held at Chelsea Piers in Stamford and includes ice skating, trampolines, rock climbing, ping pong, batting cages, and more as part of Chelsea Piers’ offerings, along with other entertainment, such as a hypnotist and bingo run by the Knights of Columbus. There will also be a raffle for a memory quilt that is being made and donated by the grandmother of a GHS freshman.
“It’s beautiful,” said O’Hara. “It’s so amazing that people do things that are so nice.”