Help Westborough Students Party All Night: Project Graduation 2017

WESTBOROUGH, MA — For more than 26 years, seniors graduating from Westborough High School have a place to celebrat, all night, in a safe way.

Project Graduation is an annual all-night event providing seniors with an alcohol and chemical-free celebration on the evening of their graduation. The goal is to create a surprised “themed” environment with decorations, entertainment, food, games and recreational sports from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m.

The event takes place on Saturday, June 3, at Teamworks in Northborough. The theme has been decided by the numerous volunteers that help make this party a success. But we can't tell you here at Patch, because it's a secret, and we weren't told here in this press release.

In recent years, themes have included: Wild Wild Westborough; Celebrate Boston; The Wizard of Oz; and Welcome to Hollywood. Teamworks is decorated from top to bottom. The theme is kept a secret until the students receive their admittance tickets the week of graduation.

Due to the generosity of the local dining and food service community, there is a variety of foods and drinks - and have included items such as: pizza, wings, fruit and vegetable platters, popcorn, hamburgers, burritos, and even sushi. For entertainment, Teamworks has all kinds of sports - soccer, volleyball, frisbee as well as large inflatables.

A deejay is often present to keep the music flowing and kids dancing. And there is usually an event that is geared around the theme. In 2016, the kids were able to play blackjack and poker at game tables set up on one of the playing fields.

In order to put on an event of this magnitude, planning begins each Fall. There are more than 200 volunteers that participate in making the event a success, said the announcement. This year's co-chairs are Lisa Nichols and Audrea Lehman. The co-chairs are typically a Senior Parent and a Junior Parent so the event organization can continue in perpetuity from year to year.

There are committees for decorating, fundraising, food/drink, entertainment, volunteers, memory lane, invitations, set-up and clean-up that work for more than nine months planning the event. The night of the party, the parents of underclassmen chaperone the evening’s activities. There are more than 75 people who chaperone that night.

The organization behind this event is Project Graduation Westborough, whose mission is to provide the graduating senior class with an all night, secure and chemical-free celebration. This nonprofit event typically can cost up to $16,000 so there is extensive fundraising that takes place starting up to six months before the event.

Each year, families of high school students regardless of year of graduation are asked to help defray the cost of the evening by donating minimum of $40. Local businesses are also encouraged to make a donation to cover the cost of Project Graduation. The Westborough Community has been extremely generous with all their donations.

You can donate to Project Graduation online.

If you are interested in volunteering, donating or want more information, contact Audrea Lehman at david.lehman@verizon.net or visit the Project Graduation Westborough website or @ProjectGraduationWestborough.

Information submitted by Project Graduation Westborough

Photo Credit: Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images News