Schools
High School Graduates Water Bound For Project Graduation
The PTSA hopes 200 graduating seniors will go on the cruise
Project graduation in Lacey Township will take to the water for the ninth time this year as graduates travel on buses the night of graduation to Perth Amboy to board the Cornucopia Princess for a dinner cruise.
“We are expecting a huge turn out from this year's senior class,” said Donna McAvoy, President of the Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA).
The Princess will cruise the Raritan Bay up to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge until the wee hours of the morning while a DJ plays music selected by the students and a buffet dinner is served with food also chosen by the graduates.
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Project graduations were introduced many years ago nationwide as an alternative to students going to parties and drinking alcohol. According to the Department of Transportation, graduation night is among the deadliest for a high school senior.
"Project Graduation is a program designed to keep our senior students off the roads in a safe, over-night lock-in event which is drug and alcohol free," the PTSA said in a letter to the local businesses. "It is hoped that these young adults will carry into the future the message that a good time can be had without the use of drugs or alcohol."
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According McAvoy, the night will include prizes, games, ping-pong, Guitar Hero, air hockey and dance revolution.
Tickets to the event are $35 for graduates with the balance of the cost coming from the PTSA. The Municipal Alliance covered the cost of the DJ.
The PTSA will be giving out $5,000 worth in prizes. The students picked many of the prizes, which include gift cards for items they will need when they go away to college.
Dress is casual and several members of the faculty and PTSA will be chaperoning the event.
McAvoy is hoping 200 graduates will turnout for Project Graduation.
The event is open to all graduates, but bringing dates along is not allowed.
McAvoy thanks the parents of the seniors, the people on the committee and members of the community who donated prizes.
"The community has been very supportive and we wouldn't be able to pull off this huge undertaking without the cash and prize donations from our local businesses,” she said.
For a complete listing of businesses who donated, please visit the PTSA website at www.lthsptsa.org.
