When Lynn Blake approached me just before Christmas about the Register doing a story/series on the costs of Boothbay Region High School’s graduation events, we were lucky to have our “new” news contributor Candi Joneth step up to tackle the issue. Her two articles (second one appears this week) fully explain the problems involved regarding classes raising money for just about every aspect of graduation.

As the articles outline, the past few years have been difficult for classes – and the Boothbay Region Alumni Association – to raise money because of COVID-19 and the necessary changes due to the virus. No class suppers, and other public gatherings were canceled or stymied. A few fundraising events have been held this year but raising between $25,000 and $35,000 for graduation and Project Graduation, and the Alumni Association deciding about holding the annual banquet and continuing the longstanding Grand March have been difficult for all involved. Holding the banquet and Grand March outside brought in no money and last year, even though the Grand March was held inside, little or no donations were collected.

One other factor is the size of recent graduating classes. When you have only 35 to 45 students graduating, participation on fundraising events is lower. When my daughter graduated in 2002, there were 76 graduates and one of our biggest fundraisers was a yard sale in the YMCA parking lot. Lots of students and parents got involved and most of the costs of graduation and the Project Graduation trip were covered from the proceeds of that event. But, the prices were much better back then, too.

Luckily, local organizations such as the Rotary and Lions clubs and Masonic lodges have helped with costs of the Grand March. And some businesses have pitched in to help with fundraisers.

It is a situation that needs to be addressed and hopefully some decisions can be made by parents, school authorities and others so the school’s traditions can be saved.