Napa Grad Nite offers online "early-bird" tickets

With the end of the school year almost upon us one of Napa’s most anticipated events for graduating seniors is again the hottest ticket in town! Napa Grad Nite which traces it’s origins back to a tragic night in early June 1987 when three graduating High School seniors lost their lives in a car crash. From the result of that loss of life Napa Grad Nite was born and is now almost 30 years old.

“Napa Grad Nite is truly a community event” says Kelly Wallace, President of Project Graduation Inc., the 501(c)3 non-profit founded to organize and run the event each year “and every year we are grateful to our community that help to make the event possible. Quite simply the event wouldn’t happen without the financial support of our sponsors and partners.”

Napa Grad Nite this year will be held at the Napa Valley College campus on Thursday, June 4th. Doors open at 9pm and the event continues until 5am the next morning, after the final headline act finishes and the final door prizes are given away. The organizing committee expects in excess of 500 students from the Napa area high schools to attend and has this year offered “early-bird” tickets to the event. These started at $30 back in February and has risen by $5 each month and are currently $45 until 5/31 are available online at napagradnite.com. Admission at the door on June 4th will be $50 per student.

Activities at the event this year will include Hypnotist – Comedians - Live D.J. - Casino - Salon Hair Styling & Manicures - Interactive Games - Video Room - Arcade Games - Video Karaoke – Fair Midway type activities - and much, much more!

“The event is heavily subsidized by donations from the community” says Wallace, “and the actual cost of food, prizes, entertainment and operations cost well in excess of $100 per participant. The following have helped significantly with our costs this year Community Projects, Kiwanis Club of Napa Foundation, Napa Valley Vintner’s, Patrick Savage Memorial, Billco’s Billiards & Darts, Cole’s Chop House, Gary Lieberstein (District Attorney of Napa County), Napa Valley Education Foundation, Altamura Enterprises, and Napa Valley Marathon and we, and the attendees are very grateful for their support”

Napa Grad Nite is happily still taking donations and these can be made by visiting napagradnite.com or by contacting Britta Wallace, who is Director of Donations for Project Graduation at britta@napanet.net.

An ardent supporter of Napa Grad Nite is City of Napa Police Chief Steve Potter. “Napa Grad Nite is a safe and positive night that lets our graduating seniors have fun on one of the most momentous nights of their lives. This well organized event has been running for almost 30 years now and speaks volumes about how our community supports not just itself but also the next generation” said Chief Potter “With one of our officers, Sergeant Mike Hensley, involved in the organization of Napa Grad Nite we know just how much work goes in to making this night so amazing.”

The event is dependent on well over 100 community leaders, parents, former high school graduates and concerned citizens of every stripe who volunteer themselves for one very late night of service so that students can have the time of their lives at an affordable price. Volunteers get to help make a lot of kids very happy on their big night and, like students, can partake in all night all-you-can eat buffets and BBQ’s. Anyone wanting to volunteer can do so by contacting Bruce Nothmann at 707-637-6880.

“Napa Grad Nite also uses some of it’s funds to support graduating seniors who have shown leadership qualities at their respective schools” says Wallace “and we are looking to expand that program after our 2015 event so that we can have a positive impact long after the Napa Grad Nite has happened.”

For those of you who want to keep an eye on happenings over the course of the 2015 Napa Grad Nite online you can follow it all on the events Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds under the hashtag - #NapaGradNite.

About Napa Grad Nite

Napa Grad Nite is an annual event created by Project Graduation Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit. Napa Grad Nite is run entirely by community volunteers and, besides discounted entry fee, relies almost exclusively on donations and corporate sponsorships for it’s funding.