During the day, Kari Cox creates magic in the film industry. Now the professional make-up artist wants to create magic for this year’s graduating class at Delta Secondary.
But she, and the rest of the 2024 Dry Grad decorating committee, need help to make that happen.
“I’ve seen a raw construction site, where there’s nothing there, and a week later you’re in the middle of a jungle, or a park or anywhere that you can think of. I want to use what I know about film being able to turn nothing into something to make the night really memorable,” she says.
The immediate challenge is to find a place where the decorating team of eight volunteer moms can store props as they’re made in the months leading up to the May 31 event at the Ladner Community Centre.
“We have talked to everyone and anyone that we can think of and haven’t had a lot of luck. We’re looking for someone who has a barn or a huge garage where we can store our things as we construct them. There’s the possibility of working out of a shipping container but that is our last resort,” she told the Optimist.
Cox is not alone in pushing herself to the limit to create a night that the kids will never forget — and not just because they’re sober.
The drug- and alcohol-free party runs from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
“This keeps them in an environment that’s safe, that we know that they’re there, that they’re not causing trouble on the streets.,” Cox says. “The trick is to give them something worth staying for throughout the entire night.”
Dry Grad executive chair Denise Robertson and her teams have come up with many fundraising ideas and while they’re grateful for the incredible support they’ve received, more sponsorships and prize donations will further ensure that students leave only when they want to go home to sleep.
Here’s how to support Dry Grad at DSS:
• buy $20 tickets online at www.dssdrygrad.com for the March 15 50/50 draw for $10,000
• give the Easter Bunny some delicious options by ordering Purdy’s chocolates before Feb. 27
• bring your too-personal-to-throw-out paperwork to the March 16 shred-a-thon in the DSS parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• volunteer on a committee: clean up, entertainment, food, prizes, security, first aid, red carpet, t-shirts and tickets. Email [email protected] to sign up.
To donate a space, or volunteer to build sets, email [email protected].
