Project Graduation’s objective is to provide a drug, smoke, and alcohol-free celebration for seniors on graduation night.
Cinnaminson High School spends countless hours every year raising money for Project Graduation — an event with the objective to provide a drug-, smoke- and alcohol-free celebration for seniors on graduation night. The celebration aims to keep students safe and out of harm’s way.
While the location for this year’s Project Graduation has not yet been decided, it typically costs $20,000 at minimum, meaning lots of fundraising for the Project Graduation committee.
In the past, Cinnaminson’s Project Graduation has been held at the Burlington County Special Services School District and the RiverWinds Community Center.
This is Project Graduation’s 26th year at Cinnaminson High School, and co-chair George Ferris plans to make it a great one.
“I’ve yet to hear a kid that hasn’t enjoyed [Project Graduation] in some shape or form,” Ferris said. “The best is at the end when you hear all the ‘thank yous’ and how much fun they had.”
The Project Graduation committee holds various fundraisers throughout the year, including Philadelphia Phillies ticket sales, selling water and flowers at high school and middle school graduations, a Christmas tree raffle, designer handbag bingo and a car show at the annual Cinnaminson Day. The committee also has smaller fundraisers at restaurants such as Jersey Mike’s and has a local florist donate a portion of sales from flowers bought by Cinnaminson students during prom season back to Project Graduation.
The committee’s next fundraiser will be a bowling party at Pinsetter Bowl in Pennsauken on Sunday, March 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $18 for students and $25 for adults and include unlimited bowling, snacks, desserts, bottled water and shoe rental. Tickets will be sold at the door or can be requested by emailing CinnaminsonProjectGraduation@gmail.com.
Bowling party attendees will also have the opportunity purchase raffle tickets for a Tombola. Many of the raffle items are donations from local businesses. Raffle items this year include prom tickets, movie theater and restaurant gift cards, Avon products, a Cinnaminson High School yearbook, jewelry and Flyers tickets.
“Last year, we had almost 100 bowlers. We’ll take as many as we can get,” Ferris said.
Ferris has been in charge of Project Graduation for three years and originally heard about the celebration when his daughter was a freshman at Cinnaminson High School. He originally volunteered as a bus chaperone, but enjoyed it so much he became co-chair the following year.
In addition to keeping graduating seniors safe, Ferris says Project Graduation is also one last hoorah for the graduating class.
“It’s the only function in school that reaches out to everybody. It’s not sports-based, band-based, drama-based or chess club-based,” Ferris said. “It reaches out to the entire school community and, other than your reunions, it’s the last time that your whole class is together. It’s a night to make memories with everybody.”
Those interested in volunteering to help with fundraisers or Project Graduation itself can email Ferris at geopat7@comcast.net.
