By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
For the ninth consecutive year, Project Graduation provided a safe and fun alternative to private graduation parties.
Spokesman Christine Mariano said Tuesday that a record 575 of the 675-member Class of 2011 took advantage of the program and spent the night enjoying a variety of activities at the Funplex in Mount Laurel, Burlington County.
”As always, the night was offered free of charge to all graduating seniors and was the culmination of a year-long fundraising effort by the committee,” Ms. Mariano said. “We could not have done so with the financial sponsorship and support of the South Brunswick Municipal Alliance, whose mission and objectives of protecting our youth from alcohol and drug abuse are so closely aligned with ours.”
Ms. Mariano said the graduates and 30 chaperones loaded 16 buses to be transported to the facility in Mount Laurel.
Once there, the new graduates enjoyed a variety of activities in the recreational facility, including laser tag, bumper boats, bowling and arcade games, among other amusements.
The organization has provided the safe alternative to “party hopping” since 1992 in an effort to keep celebrating grads off the roads and, hopefully, away from becoming an accident statistic, according to Ms. Mariano.
The local branch of the national nonprofit organization raises money throughout the year to finance the night and is immediately going back to work to start raising money for next year.
”An event of this magnitude requires a year-round fundraising effort in order to meet the needs of SBHS ever-increasing enrollment,” Ms. Mariano said.
Ms. Mariano said the total cost this year was about $44,000, or roughly $75 per student.
The only “blemish” on the program this year was that the organization had to dip into its reserve funds because it couldn’t raise the total amount needed, according to Ms. Mariano.
”The committee recognizes that the economic stress facing many families may have contributed to this shortfall and hopes that South Brunswick families and businesses will once again support future Project Graduation events more readily,” Ms. Mariano said.
Anyone who would like to help the organization raise funds for next year should e-mail [email protected] for more information.
