Liverpool Regional High School. Photo credit Ed Halverson

Parents and the community have come forward to give graduates of Liverpool Regional High School a proper send off.

Heather Stevens, one of the organizers behind the LRHS Scholarship Fundraiser Auction says once she and other parents became aware there would not be a prom they leapt into action.

“It’s been absolutely amazing. This prom, I may have organized it, but the community is basically putting it on,” said Stevens.

A call out on social media saw parents and volunteers step up and give their time, the Milton Hall donated their space for the night, the Queens florist, now called the Atlantic Grow Shop, will provide plants, the Decoration Depot in Hebbville donated trellises and lattice backdrops, even the DJ is offering a night of free music.

Stevens says the students will start the evening with a sit-down, full turkey dinner.

“Because they’re not having a traditional graduation this year, they’re going to have their valedictorian speech while they’re eating. They’re going to have a couple of speeches and stuff and then they’ll have the music once they’re done eating.”

The prom will take place at the Milton Hall on June 24.

As COVID restrictions began lifting, the South Shore Regional Centre for Education told schools to decide for themselves what graduation activities they would provide students at the end of the year.

LRHS will be honoring students with individual in-person ceremonies where each graduate will be assigned a time for close family members to watch them cross the stage and receive their diploma.

Following that, Stevens and her team have coordinated with Queens Place Emera Centre to host a drive-by graduation on June 29.

“And all the students will be in their caps and gowns. They all would have graduated by then,” said Stevens. “We will line them up in chairs and we’ll have music playing and then all of the family and supporters, they decorate their cars and drive by and honk. The kids love it.”

Stevens says after that all 67 graduates will board a bus and head back to school to attend the safe grad being organized by the teachers.

She says after taking on the work to organize events for students during COVID, the community now has a better understanding of the amount of time and effort it takes to host prom and graduation events.

She’s hopeful if the school once again decides to take on the job of organizing graduation events next year community members will continue to offer their time and support.

“Instead of the teachers trying to take it all on themselves, have more individuals volunteer and help with it.,” said Stevens. “But as long as something gets done for the kids, I think that’s the most important thing.”

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

Liverpool Regional High School. Photo credit Ed Halverson

An online fundraiser for graduates at Liverpool Regional High School collected 50 percent more than organizers had hoped.

The LRHS Scholarship fundraiser volunteers received $33,627 in donations, blowing through the goal of $22,000 set for the class of 2022.

Scholarship fundraising committee chairperson Heather Stevens says although the annual fundraiser has been held online since the pandemic hit in 2020, they really seemed to find their stride this year.

Stevens says she and the seven parent volunteers worked together to mentor the 44 participating students.

“They were in charge of delivering letters to businesses or craftspeople or whoever they may know that may have items to donate to the auction. So it was all up to the kids to go out, introduce themselves, explain what they were there for and receive donations,” said Stevens.

Students collected 221 items that were then divided over a series of 12 online mini auctions to raise $22,742.

Stevens says organizers tried to incorporate some of the fun aspects of the annual live auction fundraiser into the online effort.

‘The one thing that the kids missed is, the kids that are on the auction would go that night and they would dress up and they would sort of be the Vanna Whites for the night and they would display the items,” said Stevens. “How we did it this year is we took photos of the grads with their items and would say a little blurb. For example, my son, this is Noah Stevens, he’s holding this donation from so and so and he’ll be going off to Dalhousie next year. We wanted the people to see where the money was going.”

In addition to the online auction the community stepped up to donate $5,925 in cash.

A challenge for LRHS alumni to donate and vote on which LRHS school they felt was better, the old one or the new one, raised $905 (the old school won).

And a pair of diamond earrings worth $1,150 donated by Reynolds Pharmasave and Pirates Cove was raffled off to raise another $4,055.

The money raised will now be turned over to the Liverpool Regional High School Scholarship Foundation.

A committee will review how many eligible students have applied for scholarships and determine how much each student will receive.

Even though the last of her three children is graduating this year, Stevens says she will likely stay on to help with the fundraiser again next year.

She says her team built on the success of last year’s volunteers and she hopes to see the legacy continue.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.