Keeping seniors safe on graduation night

By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

Flower baskets for Mother's Day, craft fairs, buckets of laundry soap, ice cream socials, auctions, dinners.

Fundraisers, fundraisers, fundraisers.

"I feel like that's what we've done all year," Michelle Pfennigs, Post Falls High School senior parent committee chair, said Wednesday.

Many parents of high school seniors go to great lengths to give their kids a fun and safe send-off on graduation night.

"It’s a lot of work and meetings and communicating with parents," said Diane Moen, chair of the Lakeland Senior High School senior parent committee.

But for the parents whose kids are about to open new chapters in their lives, it's worth it.

The parents spend at least that final year of their child's high school experience thinking outside the box to generate up to $30,000 for a drug- and alcohol-free celebration that gives seniors one last hurrah with their classmates.

Post Falls parents met before the school year began to devise their fundraising plans. Their events included a dinner and auction at Nashville North and a Cyrus O'Leary's pie sale for Thanksgiving.

"The biggest thing is we want to congratulate our kids and say, 'You’ve worked hard, high school is over,'" Pfennigs said. "We want to give them that one special night where they get to hang out with their friends."

One of Lakeland's fundraisers is the sale of five-gallon buckets of laundry detergent, which Moen said is usually quite successful.

"It's so great to see the parents get so involved," Moen said. "They want to be a part of it. It’s a really great thing."

The majority of the area high schools are planning grand shindigs on separate evenings at Triple Play. The lock-ins will include fun activities, raffle prizes, pizza and camaraderie with fellow graduates. Many of the schools provide swag bags and keepsakes that the students will have as reminders of this special time in their lives.

"We want our kids to have a nice time that they have memories of, that they get to spend with each other in a group to make memories and laugh," Moen said. "They'll have that one night, then they'll go off to adulthood and college."

A huge motivation for these parents is to encourage their students to make good decisions on this night, without drugs or alcohol.

"You want your kid to come home safe and sound. With the all-night senior party, you know they're going to have a good time, but it's in a controlled environment," Moen said. "You know your kid isn't going to drive home drunk."

The incentives for the seniors to attend these parties are also pretty sweet.

"Most of the time I hear that most all the kids go," said Robyn Bell, chair of the Coeur d'Alene High School 2019 senior parent committee. "There are really nice prizes. We give away TVs, stuff for dorm rooms. We give away good prizes to help the kids move on in life."

Bell and the parents of next year's seniors are already working on generating funds for next year's party. They're hosting a Mother's Day hanging flower basket sale in the CHS parking lot starting at 10 a.m. today and Friday. The baskets are $35 each and include mixed bouquets.

Post Falls will also have flowers for sale from 3:30 to 6 p.m. today at the high school. Hanging baskets are $35 and patio pots are $40.

"Our purpose is to help keep the kids in a safe environment after graduation to reduce drinking and driving," Bell said. "This is to keep our kids safe."