Parents seek community support to keep kids safe on graduation night

POLSON — Four years of hard work will come to a close on June 2 for Polson High School seniors when they earn their diplomas at graduation, completing careers that saw them become invested in their school and community. Their final sendoff will be a party the night of graduation, one that Sharon Murphy and other moms want to make a safe and memorable one not just for the seniors, but for the community as well.

For about 22 years, Polson has held a party for its departing class to help celebrate a milestone as well as keep kids from other, less healthy alternatives.

“It’s by and large the most dangerous night for kids,” Murphy, co-chair of a donation committee to help sponsor the party, said. “Our goal is to keep every kid in the senior class at the party.”

According to Murphy, graduation night gives kids a reason to make ill-advised choices that could harm them, and others. By making the party as spectacular as they can, the committee is hoping more seniors choose to spend one last night with their classmates in a fun, safe environment rather than on the streets in potential danger.

The party is highlighted with food, fun and games, as well as prizes where every student in attendance walks away with a gift of at least $25. This year, partygoers will be able to play laser tag, climb the rock wall and ride a mechanical bull.

Murphy is also hoping to add a few grand prizes at the end of the night, persuading kids to stay for the duration of the event. On the list of possibilities is an Xbox and big screen TV.

Unfortunately for Murphy, the struggling economy means the group has had a tough time raising money for one of the most memorable nights of studets’ lives.

“We really want this to be a special party and are trying to make it more enticing for them than other alternatives,” Murphy said.

Murphy is part of a group of eight on a committee that has reached out to roughly 320 businesses in the hopes of garnering support, but there is still a long way to go.

Because of that, the committee is hoping individuals in the community want to help out in any way they can.

“It’s not just a high school issue, it’s a community issue,” Murphy said. “It’s us as a community wanting to keep our seniors safe, but everybody is at risk if students are drinking and driving.”

The committee is also doing everything it can to raise money itself, including holding a pair of fundraisers in May. On the fourth, moms of seniors are volunteering at the concessions at the middle school track meet, hoping to make as much headway as possible.

The party will run from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. on June 2 and time is running out to help provide seniors with a safe and much-deserved farewell. If you would like to help, you can contact Murphy at 883-1981, Heidi Howell, co-chair of the committee, at 883-5209 or Darlene Cooper, head of the committee, at 883-2211.