Parents and students are working hard to ensure that the Grad class of 2021 at Delta Secondary will have a time to remember while also taking the necessary COVID-19 precautions.
Faced with another year of uncertainty due to the pandemic, DSS grads will not have any of their usual final school year activities including what is a tradition in South Delta – the red carpet walk and dry grad after-party.
“As in prior years, 2021 grad families still wish to find a way to make sure their sons and daughters are honoured and celebrated for their 13 years of hard work and dedication,” said DSS grad committee chair Denise Sheridan. “This year’s planning committees are working hard to find a path forward that respects the COVID-19 provincial health orders, which is no simple task. Currently, despite having been in school since September, the health orders continue to require no social gatherings of any size. Grad families are hoping that our community will be in a position to allow gatherings of groups of at least 50 by May 28.
“With a little bit of elbow grease, deep digging into the creative brain centres, and sprinkling of good vibes, the hope is that our grads will be able to celebrate with some of their long-time friends and peers just once in their final year.”
Sheridan said whether or not the health orders change allowing communities to open up a bit, the various DSS planning committees are still busy working on a plan B, which requires a substantial amount of funding.
“Typically, our grad parent/guardian community coordinated numerous in-person events all of which were significant fundraisers for dry grad,” she said. “This year, the fundraisers available are severely limited and no amount of creativity will make up for the funding shortfall. We, as an executive, are hoping the Ladner community will support our fundraising efforts and our event plans. We do have a plan in the works and it will need the business community to help us bring it to fruition.”
All who support Dry Grad 2021 will be recognized on the dry grad social media platforms and website, and in a full page thank you ad in the Optimist at the end of the year.
If you are able to help out this year’s Dry Grad, please reach out to: fundraising@dssgrad.com.
