INNISFAIL – Dozens and dozens of local high school teens will have a graduation day they will never ever forget – COVID-19 pandemic style.
It will be a community celebration on June 20, with graduating local teens from Innisfail High School (IHS) and Innisfail Career High School connecting with those from Red Deer’s École Secondaire Notre Dame High School, Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School, Hunting Hills High School and St. Joseph High School.
“All these kids grew up together. They play sports together. They go to swim club together. They hang out at Centennial Park together,” said local mom Carrie Black. “They don’t care what school they go to. They are going to celebrate with their hometown friends this way.
“We are going to have a community celebration instead of a school celebration,” she added.
This community celebration for Innisfail teens is happening due to the perseverance of Black and mom Kerry Towle. The pair refused to give up.
“The priority is making sure these kids get the proper send off as they head on to their next journey, and that we show appreciation for kids who have devoted the last 12 years to our town and our area communities,” said Towle.
Their quest to honour the town’s graduating teens started with independent plans after school boards announced traditional graduation days were off, due to the pandemic.
Towle, whose daughter Madison is graduating from IHS, was looking at having a parade on Main Street, believing it would have been welcomed, since the annual late spring Rotary Club Parade was cancelled.
Black, whose daughter Maddie is a Notre Dame grad, was pursuing a special celebration in the parking lot of the Innisfail Arena. But with time increasingly becoming an issue, agreements with the town could not be reached in time for either plan.
However, out of those disappointments came a timely gift from the Innisfail Royal Canadian Legion.
The legion offered its parking lot and park area to the graduation cause at no cost. The veterans group even gave a cash donation to help with expenses.
“We just ended up connecting and finding an alternative route, and her (Black) connection to the legion allowed for her proposal to go forward there,” said Towle. “The legion was gracious and understood the priority and we’ve been able to move it forward.”
The ladies were soon deluged with offers of volunteer support and donations. Parents were asked to pick up a $60 per student registration cost for the COVID community graduation.
The unique plan for June 20 is to have a drive-in ceremony outside the legion, while respecting all Alberta Health Services safety guidelines against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There can be no more than 50 in attendance at a time for the event, which begins at 1 p.m. and will go until 3 p.m. Each graduating student will have the option of wearing gowns, or not.
“This is their day. If they want to wear their gowns they bought in anticipation of the grad they were going to have, or a suit, or if they want to come in their COVID comfy pants, this is their day,” said Black. “They can wear whatever they want because this is their day.”
Kids will arrive in cars, which will move towards a stage set on a donated flat bed trailer. The graduate will step out and walk up a ramp to the stage. They will have a cap and tassel. Each student will have his or her photo taken. They will then proceed across the stage while a LED screen flashes their name and high school. And then each graduate will move their tassel from one side of the mortarboard to the other. Finally, they will walk down the ramp, receive a swag bag and return to their vehicle. The next graduate will then follow.
The special COVID-era graduating moment will not end at 3 p.m. The plan continues with a motor vehicle procession through town. Towle said discussions have taken place with the RCMP regarding the route.
After the procession, the graduates will then head to Centennial Park for more photo taking, safe fellowship and to create more special memories.
“June 20 there will be a great day for the kids,” said Black, who is crediting the community for the event’s early organizational success. “The community spirit is strong here. The number of people who have said, ‘how can I help here?’ has been great. This community cares about the kids.”
For more information about the June 20 community graduation event at the legion contact Black at 403-227-1764, or email her at: [email protected], or Towle at [email protected]
