Current seniors! Are you dreading the next 2 months? Can’t wait to run screaming from these hallowed halls? Don’t fret. Within this academic year, there is something to look forward to: Project Grad.

Project Grad is a parent-planned, community-funded, all-night party for the graduating seniors. Also called Grad Night, the event scheduled for 2016 has been in planning since last September, and this year will be its 27th fun-filled time around.

Since its inception in Maine in 1980, Project Grad has been a yearly event in many schools across the nation, and has spread to 15 schools around Sonoma County. Its main goal is to provide a safe drug—and alcohol—free environment where seniors can all congregate for one last hurrah.

It has been wildly successful in this regard. Since Project Grad’s creation almost three decades ago, there has not been a single alcohol-, drug-, or car accident-related death among Analy graduates on graduation night.

Not only is it a safe place to spend grad night, but the party has a meaningful impact on those who attend.

“I thought it was a fun way to say goodbye to everyone in one spot, before we all left forever,” said Joelle Hagen, Class of 2010. Jason Pudoff, Class of 2015, agreed: “We were all aware of the fact that we were graduating and it was good to be together one last time.”

Project Grad is a place where all seniors can spend time socializing and participating in a great number of activities. Although usually kept as well-guarded secrets, those in charge have given permission to reveal a few past highlights and possible features for the coming year: a hypnotist, a bouncy house, karaoke, a raffle with prizes, and even free massages and haircuts!

It seems this is the perfect way to say goodbye, not only to friends, but also, in a way, to childhood. This is the last chance, while in high school, to pull an all-nighter doing crazy, silly things. As Joelle so sweetly put it, “It was a nice sendoff before going out into the big world, like ‘Have fun!’”

Although students in the past have been worried about missing out on other parties thrown on the same night, they needn’t have such FOMO (fear of missing out). “You have all summer long to party with your friends. Project Grad is the only time you can win free prizes and watch a hypnotist make people do funny things,” said Sophie Lev, Class of 2015. “It’s the only opportunity to have everyone in one place, so the more people attend, the more fun it is.”

“I had a great time,” commented Scotty Hoffman, Class of 2014. “Everyone goes, all your friends will go, and if you loosen up, you will have the grandest night of your life!”

The Grad Night forms, including scholarship applications, can be found online on the Analy website (http://www.analyhighschool.org/pg/). Look for a table in the quad during the week of April 11-15 to turn in contracts and money