Parents of this year’s seniors will be selling concessions and T-shirts at the Chuck Randall Relay Saturday, March 21, as a fundraiser for a safe graduation party.

“It’s a great opportunity for parents to pitch in and assure our success,” said Rhonda Wreggelsworth, the party planning chairperson.

A handful of dedicated parents are determined to give Arlington High’s graduating class of 2009 a safe and sane graduation experience, Wreggelsworth said.

“We have contracted with GradNights, a professional party planning company, to provide the grads with an all night party that will be absolutely free of drugs, alcohol, party crashers, or other dangerous influences. The kids will board a bus right after graduation, surrender their cell phones and other communication devices and be whisked off to two secret venues for a night they will remember forever,” Wreggelsworth said.

Another parent, a veteran graduation night party planner, Linda Taylor said the students will not learn of their destination until they arrive on the night of June 12.

“Secrecy is part of the fun, but also the best way to keep our graduates safe. There’s no opportunity for advanced planning on the part of mischief makers,” said Taylor.

The committee hopes that everyone who wants to attend will be able to attend.

“We hope to raise enough money so that every student can attend. We want to offer discounts and scholarship tickets to students who need financial assistance,” said Wreggelsworth.

The event is not sponsored by the Arlington School District so the parents are responsible for all the planning and raising the funds.

The cost is $130 per student through March 27 and will go up to $150 after that date. Tickets may be purchased during all three lunch periods on Wednesdays and Fridays at AHS. A payment plan is available.

The next planning meeting is 5 p.m. April 7 at the AHS library.

“Right now, we are operating with a very small core group of parent volunteers and we would really welcome more help,” Wreggelsworth said.

“We will be reaching out to the community to assist with our costs. I’d like to invite all parents of a 2009 graduate to help with fund raising, party planning and ticket sales.

Anyone who’d like to participate should call Linda Taylor at 425-299-5940 or call Wreggelsworth at 425-652-8387 for donations and additional information.

Statistically, a high school student has the highest likelihood of dying in an alcohol- or drug- related incident on the night of graduation.