Project Grad suffers from lack of funds and less enthusiasm

Each year, Hawaii high school seniors have a blast at Project Graduation events held around the state, but organizers say staging an entire night of alcohol- and drug-free post-commencement revelry comes at a high monetary cost.

"It’s such an amazing event," said Nikki Kay, chairwoman of Project Grad at Wai­anae High School for the past few years. "We have activities. We have food all night. We have snacks. We have games to keep the kids up. We have entertainment, so there’s bands and disco and DJs. We usually take them to venues around the island."

Project Grad events are completely parent- and volunteer-run and cost tens of thousands of dollars paid for by registration fees, fundraising and community donations.

Kay said Waianae is still looking to raise $5,000 before Friday’s event to cover the costs of its two venues, which are kept secret until students arrive.

"When we didn’t get the donations that we got last year, I kind of started to panic," she said.

Past party places for Wai­anae graduates include Germaine’s Luau and Wet ‘n’ Wild water park, where students had use of the park’s slides and pools from midnight to 3 a.m. The event lasts from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Some schools are combining efforts for the first time to overcome financial challenges and the difficulty of getting students to sign up for the graduation night festivities.

Edison Chong, a Project Grad volunteer for many years with the programs at Kaimuki and McKinley high schools, said Kaimuki is partnering with Farrington High School for the first time to try to boost participation as well as resurrect the event at Farrington.

Chong said the school has partnered with other schools for specific events throughout Project Grad night, but this will be the first time Kaimuki is embarking on a completely joint venture. He said the partnership started late in the game this year and that organizers are hoping to jump on it early next year.

Kaimuki has 67 students registered this year, down from 109 last year. Farrington, which Chong said hasn’t had a Project Grad night for a number of years, has about a dozen signed up and eight students hoping to secure sponsorships.

"Finances are holding them back," Chong said. "They have all their paperwork in, but they don’t have the money."

The cost of attending the event can range from below $100 at some schools to more than $200 at others and is also dependent on when during the year tickets are purchased, organizers said.

Radford High School, which has 50 students set to participate in its Project Grad night, is also partnering with another isle school for the first time. The partnership is being kept secret until the night of the event, Radford co-chairwoman Mae Tsu­neda said.

"Project Grad is fading out," Tsu­neda said. "I think somehow something new has to come about because it’s old already, you know. It’s been around since 1990, and the kids want to do something different, something more exciting. We’re just facing the facts."

Kay said 75 students are signed up for Wai­anae’s Project Grad, and only about two-thirds have paid in full.

Chong said all donations are welcome and will be put to good use.

"If anybody could help Project Grad, whatever school, I’m sure everybody would be appreciative of that," he said.