Park High School 2020 Graduation Celebration

Imagine you are a senior in high school - you are filled with excitement, anxiety for the unknown, anticipating new adventures, making plans for college, and you cannot wait to cross the stage and switch over that tassel after you receive your hard-earned diploma. And suddenly, a pandemic hits the nation and changes all of your plans, celebrations, and normal graduation traditions. That is the reality for the PHS Class of 2020.


For these approximately 422 students, there were no spring sports or final senior games/meets, no theater plays, no senior prom, no senior skip, no senior choir, no senior all-night party, no signing yearbooks, no graduation parties with extended family and friends, and no official goodbyes to teachers, friends, and under-classmates (at least none of these things in the traditional sense). 

To that end, we are asking all community members, parents, relatives, friends, teachers, co-workers, and former PHS classes to join together to support the Park High School Class of 2020. Here is the plan:

1) Our goal is to raise $5,000

2) The money will go towards purchasing gift cards from local businesses (Side Note: let’s help our local economy and community in the process too). The hope is that we can raise enough to provide gift cards and treats to each participating student.

3) These gifts will be given to students when they come to the parent planned drive-thru graduation event at Crossroads Church on June 14th.

4) Deadline for donations—in order to purchase the gift cards and get them in time, we kindly ask that all donations are made by Wednesday, June 10th. 

Any and all donation amounts will be accepted and appreciated—we know this is a hard time for many, but no donation amount is too small. This effort will take a village. If any community can pull this off, it’s Cottage Grove and the alumni of PHS! Thank you in advance for rallying to support the graduates of 2020!

Special thanks and acknowledgments to Crossroads Church, Hy-Vee, Gary and Wendy Miller, Lori Capistrant, Missy Hicks, and Stephanie Anderson for making this event happen.