All Night Graduation Party- A Great Tradition

The following is a guest story by Jil Perlmutter:

For 22 years, the Burlington community has come together to host an all-night celebration for the graduating high school class.

For seniors, it’s a highly anticipated event. For their parents, it eliminates worries about their child’s safety on graduation night.

Since its inception, no Burlington graduates have been involved in alcohol-related accidents on their graduation night. Typically, more than 90 percent of graduates attend. Parent-volunteers began planning for the event in January. The event also depends on donations from residents and businesses for money, prizes and food. The reward is an investment in students that is paid back each year as the tradition grows.

On the Friday prior to graduation weekend, parent and student volunteers transform the high school cafeterias into a Mardi Gras party.  On Sunday, graduates checked in between 10 and 11 p.m. The party continued until 5 a.m. Monday, at which time parents of seniors arrived to clean-up.

The Post-Grad Party is a night of food, festivities and friendship for all who attend. The evening began with a comedy-hypnotist show involving BHS graduates.  The hypnotist according to Jenna Perlmutter “was very cool, he made the students dance, immobilized students and had the hypnotized students think that they were aliens and other crazy things”.   The audience (their classmates) really had a lot of laughs. 

Once the show was over at 1:00 AM, the Best Buy team had set up a wall of TV’s with video games ready to play. The entertainment continued throughout the evening with activities that appealed to everyone.  Another favorite activity of the evening was the sumo wrestling which a lot of students reported was the highlight of the evening. (Enclosed picture of Jenna Perlmutter and Haley Vercollini)

The Spiritual Medium was new to the program this year and will be invited back next year.  The students enjoyed sharing their readings with their classmates and gave them lots to discuss. Magic was performed throughout the evening by a magician.  The caricature drawings and the picture booth was in high demand as it was a nice memento for the kids to have of their friends throughout the night.

The DJ kept the night going as their music made the students want to get up and dance especially when they were feeling tired..

There was no shortage of food throughout the evening. Pizza, Calzones, Slush and Ice-cream kept the student’s appetites satisfied.   At 2:15 am, the B.good food truck drove up to the entrance, opened the windows and served chocolate shakes.  This was a refreshing hit.

When the graduates left at 5 a.m., they took with them a prize (ranging from Red Sox tickets, refrigerator, microwave, comforter set, luggage, and more), a memory book , their pictures and  memories of a fun filled evening with their classmates.. 

This all night graduation party is an integral part of the Burlington Community and tops of a significant day in our kid’s lives creating life long memories.  We wish the class of 2012 our best wishes in their future endeavors.

This night would not be possible without all the parents who volunteered to chaperone the event.  This Post Grad Party Committee sincerely appreciates their dedication.

 Contributors

MAJOR FUNDING:

Patrolmen’s Union; Burlington Police Command Officers Union; Ipswitch, Inc.; .

SPONSORS:

AAA; American Legion; Burlington Education Association; Burlington Firefighters; Burlington Pop Warner; Burlington Recreation Dept.; Burlington Rotary Club; Burlington Schools Secretaries Union; Burstone Associates, Inc.; Brian & Gayle Curtin; Gochis Insurance;  Gulde Insurance Agency; Jace Associates, Inc.; K & R Tree & Landscape Co. Inc.; Joe & Marilyn Keohane; Knights of Columbus;  Mount Hope Christian Center; PTO’s: BHS, Francis Wyman, Fox Hill, MSMS, Memorial and Pine Glen; Northern Bank & Trust; Palomar;Riemer andBraunstein, Saint Margaret’s Parish; Shea Murpy and Gulde.

Class of 2012 T-Shirts, with a logo designed by senior Kelly Howe  are sponsored by the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce.  The donors who funded T-shirts for every senior are: Bay Path College, Cambridge Savings Bank; Equity Office; Exit Realty-Sonia Rollins; The Gutierrez Company; Long’s Fine Jewelers; Oracle; Nordstorms; Riemer&Braunstein; Winbrook/Promo.

PRIZE DONATIONS: 

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill; Barnes and Noble;  Bed,Bath and Beyond; Best Buy; Billerica Country Club; Bruce’s Nails; ; Billerica Country Club; Building 19; Burger King; Burlington Florist; Burlington House of Pizza; The Chateau; Cheesecake Factory; Chili’s; Domino’s; Elizabeth Grady; Emerald Rose;  Five Guys; Flatbread Company; Glamour Nails; Hair by Nicole; Hess; Lester’s BBQ; Massage Envy; McDonald's; Middleton Golf Course; New Image Salon; Not Your Average Joe’s; Planet Fitness; Portland Sea Dogs; Sammy’s Catering & Deli; Showcase Cinema;  Staples, Tanorama; Trader Joe’s; True North Coffee House; Yeh!.

FOOD DONATIONS:

B.good; Coca-Cola; Delicious Desserts; Dunkin’ Donuts; Flatbread Pizza; LaCascia’s Bakery; Market Basket; Pizza Days; Newtowne Grille; Not Your Average Joe’s Schoolhouse Ice Cream; Shaw’s.

OTHER DONORS:

Many parents of high school students also supported the event with donations matching their child’s year of graduation $20.12). The names of donors, along with our other sponsors, will soon be posted on burlington.mec.edu/hs/Postgradprty.