KAILUA-KONA — For more than a decade, Project Grad has given Kealakehe High School seniors the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of their academic careers in an environment away from drugs and alcohol.
KAILUA-KONA — For more than a decade, Project Grad has given Kealakehe High School seniors the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of their academic careers in an environment away from drugs and alcohol.
After commencement ceremonies end on May 27, graduates who choose to attend the event will be bused to the Kekuaokalani gym and pool and later to KBXtreme for an all-night lock in with food, games and prizes.
Not only is the event a fun, final celebration for graduating seniors, it’s also designed to give them a place to go that’s away from drugs and alcohol.
“It’s really all about their safety,” said Jewel Moore, who manages communications for Kealakehe High School Project Grad, the nonprofit group that organizes the event. “That’s what it really comes down to, is keeping our children safe and off the roads … They’re not out drinking and driving.”
In its 14 years, Moore said, there hasn’t been a single traffic fatality on graduation night.
But to support Project Grad, organizers say they need some help from the community in the form of donations — both monetary and in-kind — as well as volunteers who can help staff the event.
“We need to be able to provide what we say it’s going to be, a safe, fun event. We have to make sure we keep all distractions or unfavorable things out,” said Pearla Del Mar-Olaso. Anybody interested in donating or volunteering at the event can contact organizers at info@khsprojectgrad.com
Organizers said this year’s event isn’t in danger of not happening, but they’re still looking for money that can help cover fixed costs — such as insurance and deposits on the venues — as well as services and activities at the event, such as food and musical entertainment.
Pam Wong, co-chair of grants and fundraising for Project Grad said the whole event costs about $30,000 to cover everything. So far they’ve raised about $10,000.
Rising costs for the event have already resulted in ticket prices going up for students, which can make it difficult for some graduates to be able to attend the event with their peers.
For several years, said Del Mar-Olaso, the cost to attend has stayed around $45 per student. That price covers food, entertainment, prizes and everything else at the event.
But even at that price point, she said, it’s important to remember that “we’re talking about a public school, one that is filled with so many economical diversities and challenges.”
The organization does offer scholarships to help some students with the cost of attendance, but those scholarships are limited.
Wong said ticket prices had to go up this year to between $60 and $85 depending on when students signed up.
Del Mar-Olaso said providing opportunities like Project Grad is important for seniors, particularly those who might otherwise go without a celebration for their achievements.
“In the years that I’ve done it, I have seen children that perhaps are maybe not as sociable,” she said, “and they would not have had any other venue to celebrate this milestone: their graduation.”
There are also those students who come from families who might not be able to afford to give them a party. Project Grad gives them that chance to be with their friends and classmates for one more time.
“I have to tell you, some of these kids were on the edge of graduating or wanting to go to something like this,” added Del Mar-Olaso. “And when they did, they had a great time.”
The Kealakehe High School Project Grad organization is a nonprofit organization independent from the school, said Wong.
Del Mar-Olaso said that means donations are tax deductible.
They’re also accepting in-kind donations in the forms of goods and services that can help support the celebration.
In addition to donations, the group is also looking for volunteers to help staff the event.
Wong said they need about 75 to 100 volunteers for the event, specifically mentioning her hope of getting parents of juniors or underclassmen to participate as a way to “pay it forward” for future classes.
Moore said they want to be able to create a sustainable system that allows students to work toward Project Grad, so that by the time students get to senior year, everything is already in place.
“It’s having the underclassmen build that for their senior year,” she said. “And that comes through again the community participation.”