SEPTEMBER PROJECT GRADUATION NEWSLETTER
Hello senior parents!
Every year, the Westwood senior parents get together and plan an incredible night of fun, food,
and prizes for their graduates. Not only is it a fabulous celebration for the years of hard work in
school, it is also one way we, as parents and a community, can keep our children safe from
alcohol and drugs on this important night.
Project Graduation began in the 1980’s in Maine. In 1979, 18 lives of graduates were lost due to
alcohol and drug related crashes. Twelve of those that died were under the influence. The
community response, was to create a night so fabulous, the graduates would not want to leave.
They created Project Graduation as an all-night party, free from alcohol and drugs. Project
Graduation has grown and is now celebrated in all 50 states – and it works!
Creating a fabulous night does not come cheap. Westwood parents have made sure that ALL
students can attend over the years. This is hard work. Parents come together in the summer and
look at ways to raise the funds they need to pull off this event. I will be honest; MANY area
Project Graduation committees have done away with fundraising or only have small fundraisers
for extras. I have talked to friends whose Project Graduation Committees charge $150 - $200 to
attend. In these cases, if you do not have the money, too bad, you cannot attend. This is so sad
to me. First, it defeats the purpose of Project Graduation: To keep ALL of our graduates safe.
Second, it creates the possibility of outside parties (with or without alcohol) where people are left
out. Our Project Graduation is all inclusive! Everyone is invited to enjoy the entire party free of
charge.
Two years ago, I organized the entertainment for Project Graduation. Around 2 AM, three young
ladies walked up to me on the night on the event. They were so excited and I could tell they were
having a great time. One of the ladies said, “Mrs. Isenhour, I am having so much fun. I cannot
believe all of the things there are to do! It does not even look like our school in here. I can’t
believe the parents went to all of this trouble for us. I mean, they must really love us!” It was all I
could do to keep from crying. We had worked hard and only two students left before 5AM. One
had to catch a flight and the other was ill. Usually, over 90% of the graduates attend and stay the
entire night.
2016 has the promise of being just as wonderful. However, we need your help! Right now, we are
in the middle of our first fundraiser: the VISA raffle. It is the largest fundraiser we have! We need
EVERY senior parent to help sell a packet of ten tickets. I know for some, knowing ten people
who would want to buy a $20.00 ticket may not be a reality. We just ask that you try. Some of you
may not want to mess with the tickets, but would like to donate the value of the packet ($200.00).
Some of you may want to buy all of the tickets and try to win. We just need everyone to help.
You can pick up your tickets at the Varsity football games or contact one of the committee
members below to arrange for drop off. You can return money and stubs at our PG table at the
entrance to our home football games or at the school in the Mo-Sa office (C1304). The deadline is
November 5th.
For tickets or return, please contact Stephanie McCollum at stephmccollum@gmail.com or Melissa
Gray at graymiss@me.com Canyon Creek area Denise Isenhour at dlisenhour@austin.rr.com
How else can you help?
We need a team of 14 for our entertainment committee. Everything has been booked. We just
need parents to be in charge of certain areas. Please contact Denise at chair@whsprojectgrad.org
to help.
We need parents to help on the food committee. Please contact Kelly Larson at
food@whsprojectgrad.org
We need help with our on line auction. We have the places to ask for items, but need people to go
ask! Please contact fundraising@whsprojectgrad.org to help. If you have new items you can
donate from your business, we would love to talk to you. Also, if you can donate a service like Will
preparation, tutoring, tennis lessons, tax preparation, a dinner for four, art work, a homemade
quilt, etc…, please let us know. Vacation home time is also needed, if you can help!
Thank you all so much in advance for helping the committee with Project Graduation! Go WOOD
and Go Project Graduation 2016! Please join us for our meetings. They are the second Monday of
every month at Hill Country Bible Church, Portable 3B at 6:30.
Check back in October to find out what Entertainment we will have on the night of June 3-4 for
Project Graduation!