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Raising Money for a Safe Graduation

Each year, the SafeGrad Committee comes up with a number of fundraising activities to help offset the mounting cost of putting together a safe, substance-free, fun gathering for the graduating seniors of Valley Regional High School. This year, as part of that fundraising, the committee has enlisted the help of Scotch Plains Tavern in Centerbrook, to plan a Tip a Senior night, which will be held on Thursday, March 21 from 5 to 9 p.m.

A total of 20 VRHS students have volunteered to be part of the fundraiser. They will be on hand, for two separate shifts, helping the servers at Scotch Plains for the evening.

“We thought this would be a fun way to involve the entire community, as well as the students in a way to help raise money for their class,” said Tracy Qual, one of the event’s coordinators.

Restaurant goers are encouraged to tip their waiters and waitresses as usual and donate a little extra to the seniors for the SafeGrad event, which will be held on Friday, June 14.

The event, with the tag line of “School Spirit Tastes Great,” gives the community a chance to help create a special night for 148 graduating seniors.

SafeGrad has been providing a safe graduation night for more than two decades. The idea is to gather the kids together for one last, safe evening of fun before they take their next steps in life. The location of the event is always a mystery, and the night’s gathering is planned as a way to kick off the summer and the next chapter of life for the graduates.

“We usually have about 90 percent of the graduating class attend the event,” said this year’s event co-chair Sheila Robida. “This ‘tip a senior’ is just one way we are hoping to raise needed funds. We are hoping that the community comes out and joins us all at Scotch Plains to enjoy a night of great food and support for a wonderful cause.”

“Most importantly we are doing this for all the students at Valley to ensure that they have the opportunity to partake in a safe graduation night with their friends,” said Scotch Plains General Manager Curtis Johnson.

Since Thursday is traditionally ladies night at the pub, the usual ladies night happy hour specials will be going on all night.

“Scotch Plains has never participated in something like this before, so we are very excited to be chosen for this event and we encourage everyone to come out and support the seniors and come see what our restaurant is all about, if they haven’t been here before,” Johnson said.