Project Graduation for Permian and Odessa high schools is coming up this week.
Meant to be a drug-free safe zone, the events take place after graduation and feature games, prizes and food. The Permian celebration will take place after commencement May 25 and Odessa High School’s on May 26 at the Odessa College Sports Center. The lock-in celebration goes on into the next morning until about 6 a.m.
Elixandra Carrasco is the treasurer for Permian’s Project Graduation and Amanda Bautista is the president/chairman for OHS. This is the first time Carrasco and Bautista have been part of leading the effort.
Carrasco said the excitement of the students and knowing there wouldn’t be anyone to plan the event got her to step in. She has a senior who is going to graduate and another who graduated in 2019.
About 250 to 300 students are expected at the Permian celebration and approximately 250 at Odessa High School’s festivities. Both events will feature jumpers, volleyball, basketball and cornhole tournaments, food and prizes.
United Supermarkets donated gift cards to both Project Graduations for snacks and anything else they need. PHS’ largest sponsors are Sewell Family of Companies, Wildcat Oil Tools, Bobby Cox and W74 Oil Tools.
PHS will have a caricature artist, face painting, board games, lots of food and tons of prizes.
Bautista said OHS also will have basketball, volleyball and cornhole tournaments and a 360 camera. The Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (PBRCADA) will have games for the seniors and give out information.
You have to be present to win the prizes which are everything from AirPods and Xboxes to TVs and laptops.
“We don’t want to have them out there partying. We want to keep them as safe as possible. We don’t want to hear about kiddos that get out there and unfortunately get in car accidents or die because they’ve been drinking or under the influence,” Carrasco said.
Both PHS and OHS still need volunteers and parents to come out and help. They’ll probably end earlier than 6 a.m. as they don’t have enough volunteers to keep it going all night, Carrasco said.
She added that it’s important to show this generation of children that something like Project Graduation can be a fun alternative “rather than participating in stuff we shouldn’t be,” she added.
Carrasco said they started two weeks ago. They passed out more than 100 donation letters for contributions, but received maybe 15 back. There are a lot of expenses that go with the event.
“We have enough. We didn’t meet the $25,000 that we would like to meet,” she added.
At the OHS event, Bautista said a parent donated items to make burgers and they will stay and grill them. A doctor’s office donated 60 pizzas as well.
“A big shout out to United Supermarkets. They gave us a pretty big gift card so that way we can go shop for anything else we need as far as snacks or anything like that,” Bautista said.
She added that they are working with Best Buy to get electronics for the students such as Xboxes, Oculus VRs, TVs, laptops and other items.
Bautista noted that an event like this keeps “kids off the street … Even one of the officers at OHS mentioned that prom and graduation are the two times that they see the most fatalities from students because they go out and party. We have to give them an option to say yes to and (with) donations we get better gifts … so that way kids … can see what we have and they’ll want to go.”
She added that they could still use volunteers and donations.
“We’ve actually been working really well together to try and help both sides of it,” Bautista said.
“Both me and my husband own businesses, so if we don’t work we don’t get paid. We’ve been willing to take time out of our businesses to go out and ask the community for donations, too, so parent involvement is huge,” she added.
She has three children, one of whom is graduating this year.
“He has seen how much time and effort we’ve put into this and he was like, Mom, I have to go help y’all. I have to be there. I have to go help you and support y’all,” Bautista said.
She added that she raises awareness of the importance of having everybody involved whether you have students or not.
“Just keeping these kids stay safe because they’re our future,” Bautista said.
