Fundraising for McNair secondary’s dry grad event is not going as smoothly as organizers had hope for this year.
Vidhu Sharma, a Richmond resident and one of the chairpersons of McNair’s dry grad committee, said fundraisers and donations for the school’s dry grad event are coming in slower than anticipated.
The dry grad event is a drug and alcohol-free event, which is held after the graduating class has its prom. It’s funded and organized by parent volunteers.
“There are often funds left from the previous graduating years to help jumpstart the fundraising and planning processing for the following year,” said Sharma.
However, the pandemic has cut into residual dry grad funds for the last couple of years.
“During COVID-19, I know that we were not able to do any fundraising and some grads were not even able to have a dry grad,” said Sharma.
“It was a difficult start for us this year to begin with, and we are now having more difficulty trying to receive donations and sponsorships from businesses and organizations in the community.”
Inflation, she added, is believed to be a major factor.
“We all are understanding that everyone is in the same situation where inflation and high prices for everything is affecting everybody.”
Sharma told the Richmond News the price of a decent dry grad party right now “with funds for wiggle room” is roughly $25,000.
“We are reusing a lot of decorations and supplies from last year so we can save some costs there. It’s very tight," she said, adding that costs have doubled since last year.
The most expensive component of the dry grad event is entertainment.
It costs about $10,000 and includes the entertainers, casino set-ups and inflatables. Food, a DJ, magicians and hypnotists will drive up the cost as well.
The committee and students have already held several fundraisers, such as poinsettia sales and bottle drives with a couple more events planned in the coming weeks. This includes spring plants, safety and first aid supply sales.
They’ve also received donations from some families, but they are still far from their fundraising goal.
Sharma said the committee is hoping to get all donations in by May 20 to finish planning the event.
“We just want to make sure the graduates get to celebrate in a safe and fun way one last time.”
For more information on how to donate and upcoming fundraisers, contact [email protected]
