Grad Night party heads to Triple Play

SANDPOINT - Historically held at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, the 2009 Sandpoint High School Grad Night celebration is moving south to the Triple Play Family Fun Park in Hayden.

The decision to move the event came at a September Grad Night planning team meeting. Made up of senior class elected officials and their parents, the planning team is charged with planning and implementing the annual party.

Triple Play's $16,000 price tag easily dwarves the $750 usually spent on the fairgrounds, but Grad Night organizer Marcia Wilson said this year's party will actually cost less than previous years.

The 2008 Grad Night, which was held at the fairgrounds, cost $34,188, while this year's party is estimated to cost $27,388, according to Wilson.

The biggest difference between the 2008 and 2009 budgets is the decision to drastically cut funds for gifts and prizes. In 2008, the planning team spent $22,000 on prizes, while this year's budget allots only $2,000.

Wilson said SHS students were willing to trade prizes for the experience at Triple Play, which includes go-carts, miniature golf, laser tag, bowling, video games, an indoor water park and a buffet.

The new venue also lessens the chance of kids leaving early to attend parties where alcohol is present, Wilson said.

"When it's at the fairgrounds, people come to get prizes then leave, going who knows where to do who knows what," she said. "The goal of this whole thing is to offer kids a safe place where they don't drink."

Fundraising chairman Jill Kahn shares Wilson's concerns about student safety and said bringing the party to Triple Play will alleviate many of those concerns.

While she hasn't made a point of informing possible donors about the change in venue, Kahn said she will make the changes clear when large-scale fundraising goes into effect later this year.

"I certainly feel like it should be part of the public knowledge that the change was made," Kahn said. "Full disclosure is important and everyone should know what's going on."

Tickets to the party have historically been set at $20 per student, and despite the added rental and transportation expenses this year, Wilson said tickets will cost no more that $25.

Another change to the 2009 Grad Night party is the inclusion of Lake Pend Oreille High School students. The students had not been part of Grad Night in years past, but the planning team voted to extend an invitation to the group for this year's party.