Thursday, May 22, 1997

For our grads, a hearty party

All over the state, parents and teachers and administrators are concerned whether their graduating seniors will be celebrating appropriately or engaging in activities that can cause permanent harm to themselves and others. Some school districts are even requiring breathalyzer tests for admission to graduation functions.

The Abilene community has been successfully addressing this issue for more than a decade through an important local event known as Project Graduation, which provides graduates of Abilene, Cooper and Wylie high schools a drug-free, alcohol-free environment in which to celebrate earning their diplomas.

Abilene High seniors will be the first to experience the "Independence Day" party at the Civic Center after tonight's graduation. The party begins at 10:30 p.m. and ends at 5 a.m. Friday morning. Cooper High's turn takes place Friday night and Saturday morning. The Wylie party will be May 30 from 10 p.m.-5 a.m. at Redbud YMCA.

Seniors may bring one guest and must come to the party drug and alcohol free and stay that way. There'll be music, movies, games and more than enough food for everyone. Prizes such as movie passes, free dinners, a stereo, a gyrosphere and a car will be given away.

Over the years, Project Graduation has succeeded in putting a positive spin on peer pressure and mob mentality. The more teens who go, the more others want to go, to spend one last night - safely - with those who have been their classmates for years before their life roads take them in various and sundry directions. Organizers expect 100 percent participation this year.

Dottie Ingalsbe, overall chairman of the event, points out that since Project Graduation was initiated, there has not been one alcohol-related accident involving high school students during graduation in Abilene. That's quite a record.

It's a tremendous occasion, and it wouldn't be possible without such local organizations as the Abilene Restaurant Association and Lions Clubs that help cover the costs. A whole host of volunteers pitch in to do all the work of getting everything organized and arranged.

The result is a memorable graduation night in which the grads are assured a safe, sober and special experience. It should, after all, be a time to remember, not one to forget.