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Dry Grad 2015 a circus to remember

Dry Grad 2015 chair Marilyn Strohschein says the Dry Grad parade and party at the Cariboo Memorial Complex was an evening to remember.
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Spencer Neufeld

Dry Grad 2015 chair Marilyn Strohschein says the Dry Grad parade and party at the Cariboo Memorial Complex Saturday was an evening to remember.

She says there were almost 200 entries in the Grad Parade and participants handed out candy to children along the route.

“The grads all looked so grown up in their formal attire,”  Strohschein says.

“The decorations for the theme ‘Night Circus’ were absolutely breathtaking,” says Strohschein. “There was such detail put into all the decorations, down to the year 2015 hidden in some of the paintings.”

She says approximately 280 graduates and 100 non-graduates and 150-plus volunteers took part in the activities.

Graduate Paige Brinoni couldn’t be happier with the spectacular decorations her parents and the decorating committee volunteers made for her graduation year.

“My parents went full out,” Paige says. “I have been to three grads now and this was the most amazing I have seen. It was the best grad ever. I can honestly say I have the best parents in the world.”

Her parents, Angie Brinoni and Michael Overton, co-ordinated the decorations and, with the help of their team, built an amazing set based on the Night Circus theme with a big centre ring surrounded by themed activity tents.

“The dance floor was the centre ring,” Paige says.

Tent themes included a tarot card reading centre, oddities under the sea tent, ice garden from Frozen, fire red coffee bar with a big black cauldron, a lion’s cage with lions and tigers, a circus props table, a Black Pearl ship where grads could take their photos, a graveyard where students posted humorous quotes about their teachers, and a wishing tree on which grads had hung wishing cards and much more.

Strohschein says DJ Lynden Grosso provided the music, there were four inflatable toys from FunZone Rentals; a 55-foot obstacle course, bungee run, gladiator jousting arena, iron man obstacle course, Dr. Face photo booth, Rush 4 player racing simulator game and plenty of carnival games that kids could win tickets to earn prizes.

There were three circus acts from InnerRing Circus, a contortionist, a juggler and a magician, plus hypnotist, Colin Christopher.

The pool was also open from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. with the iceberg available for grads to play on.  Plenty of food was donated and there was a scavenger hunt to win a private pizza party.

Strohschein says the cost of Dry Grad was approximately $45,000, and the dry grad committee appreciates the support of local business and community groups for making it possible to provide a fun, safe graduation party for the students.

“Community policing was great because they were walking around keeping track of the outside and the inside as well,” Strohschein say

During the regular council meeting Tuesday, Coun. Scott Nelson thanked the volunteers who made the 2015 graduation such a huge success.

“It was fantastic beyond imagination for our community with a great turnout of young grads,” Nelson said.

Coun. Jason Ryll congratulated the grads for 2015 and also thanked the volunteers for making safe grad a success.

“I too talked to a number of volunteers afterwards who had nothing but fantastic things to say about our grads as far as their demeanour, attitude and their engagement with the adult volunteers who were there,” Ryll said.

“It was awesome to hear. These are the leaders of tomorrow and we have a fantastic representation of young adults coming up in the ranks.”

Mayor Walt Cobb, who was away in Edmonton at a conference during the weekend, took the opportunity to extend his congratulations to the grads at Tuesday’s meeting as well.

Coun. Sue Zacharias spoke at the graduation ceremonies on Cobb’s behalf and offered a list tips for the graduates.

“It was the biggest crowd I’ve ever spoken to,” Zacharias told council.