Lack of interest nixes Avon View Safe Grad overnighter

By Christy Marsters

The Hants Journal/NovaNewsNow.com

The traditional Avon View High School Safe Grad overnight event was cancelled this year due to a lack of interest and involvement from the graduating class of 2008.

Safe Grad committee leader Kayla Eldridge says she tried countless times to get her peers interested in participating in the overnighter, but when only 20 students out of 270 signed up for the event and fundraising fell through, all efforts seemed at a loss.

“It’s a shame more people are not interested in taking part in what has been a tradition in our school for years, because they don’t know what they are missing,” Eldridge said.

“I think there was a lack of interest this year because a lot of teens nowadays think the only way to have fun is if they are drunk or high,” she suggested, “and because most teens are too lazy to work for something by fundraising. They just expect someone else to do it for them.

“I tell people when they ask why the overnighter was cancelled is because no one was willing to fundraise for these events and I can’t do it all by myself,” Eldridge said. “I am only one person. However, I am planning to attend all of the other Safe Grad events… because it is one of the last times I will spend with some of my high school friends.”

Other events still a go

A yearbook signing and hypnotist will be open to the public at Avon View High School June 24 starting at 7 p.m. The cost to attend this event is $15. Also, approximately 60 graduates will attend a Grafton Street Dinner Theatre June 25 from 5-11 p.m.

Andrea Lafleur, graduating this year, says she plans to attend the dinner theatre and all the other events related to graduation she can. “It’s the last time I’ll probably get to see a lot of my friends so I’m making it worth the while.”

It was disappointing to think the overnight Safe Grad wasn’t going to happen like it did in previous years, and it was like people just didn’t seem to want to do anything together, Lafleur said. “I think we should have done something since the first idea didn’t work.

“I didn’t think a lot of people liked the boat idea,” she added.

The original plan for the Safe Grad overnighter was to go bowling and on a harbour cruise before returning Avon View School for some late night games. The local Lions Club was also going to support a morning breakfast held at the Legion.

Karen DesRoches, the staff advisor for Safe Grad, says the total lack of interest and participation from parents and students was frustrating after taking so much time to prepare for the event. “It was meant to be a safe activity for students to take part in.”

The purpose of the overnighter is to prevent drinking and driving around prom time, DesRoches added. “I hope that it does continue other years, but it’s a responsibility that I think parents should be taking over if they really want to get involved for their children.”