For about 25 years, seniors have celebrated their achievements by spending the night of graduation aboard a boat with the rest of their class. The idea of the “Senior Boat Party” was created in order to reduce drunk driving incidents that occurred as a result of students having their own graduation parties.
“There was a project in the Virginia Department of Education in cooperation with the Virginia State Police Association that was developed in response to a request from 1987 from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Its sole purpose was to address the serious issues of youth drinking, drug use and driving behavior during high-risk social events like prom and graduation. So, Yorktown parents got started with that, as well, and decided to use a boat as the place to have it,” said Parent-Teacher Association president, Linda Sheriff.
Sheriff feels that it is important for students to attend the boat party if they want to celebrate because the boat is a safe place where everyone is included. Students do not have to worry about being pressured to do things they do not want to do in terms of alcohol and drugs.
The maximum capacity of the Cherry Blossom sternwheel boat, the boat used for the party, is 350 people, including students, chaperones, staff, entertainers and volunteers. With the growing student population, the PTA has been considering moving the graduation party to another venue that is better suited for the large senior classes. If the PTA votes to relocate the venue, then they might consider a bigger boat, a sport and health club, a restaurant, a hotel, a country club, a college community center or the school.
“I think that the boat party sounds like such a fun event,” said junior Caroline Fatemi.
Fatemi, who is a part of the Student Government Association, says that the class of 2017 has already begun to explore venue options for prom and its after party, which is similar to the current status of the boat party.
In addition to socializing with other students while on the boat, the seniors have many entertainment options available. Some of these activities include game tables, a photo booth, a fortune teller, a DJ, a caricaturist and various raffles.
A lot of preparation goes into planning the $30,000 boat party. Seniors are asked to purchase their tickets for $65.
“Any of the food is a donation and any of the prizes are donations from parents and other organizations. They do a lot of fundraising to cover the rest of the expenses. So about half is from donations and the other half is from ticket sales to cover the expenses,” said Sheriff.
A down payment is put on the boat almost a year in advance and the steering committee has to prepare year round in order to have information ready for the first day packets. During the holidays, they begin sending out letters to about 300 businesses and restaurants around Arlington for donations. As the event nears, they begin to work with the entertainment company and make decorations. In order for the boat party to be a success, around 6,200 people contribute by donating or volunteering.
“They did a survey, and yes, the majority of seniors think it’s worthwhile and want to go. I think most people really like it,” said Sheriff.
The student survey for the class of 2017 revealed that 68.29% of the current juniors are planning on attending the boat party when they are seniors. As for the parents of the graduating class of 2017, 80% voted yes to a PTA sponsored graduation event.
“The PTA membership votes on it, so whoever shows up to the PTA meetings can vote. We want student input, too,” said Sheriff.
It is important for the PTA to provide a safe and fun alternative to parties that end with drunk kids driving home. The boat party has been successful in regard to this goal. In terms of the upcoming years, the PTA is still trying to determine how it will compensate for the growing senior classes by considering other venues where seniors can celebrate after graduation.
