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Dry Grad will need to raise another $6K

A decision was recently made by the joint committee of the CRD and the City of Williams Lake requiring payment.

Editor:

A decision was recently made by the joint committee of the CRD and the City of Williams Lake requiring payment for the use of the complex/arena facilities for both the formal graduation ceremonies and the Dry Grad celebrations.

This facility has always been historically an in-kind donation. Graduation events are predominately paid for by the generous donations from the community.

Now the Dry Grad committee will have to raise another $6,000-plus from our community to pay for the complex.

Dry Grad is run by volunteer parents who are trying their hardest to keep children safe. Does the event cost a lot of money? Yes, but the budget for the events and celebrations have not changed from previous years and are lower when compared with other Dry Grad celebrations.

The logic that has caused this joint committee to increase our costs has eluded us.

Community donations pay for this event, which every child in our area has the option of attending and the complex is a community building.

Even looking beyond the financial facts, the purpose of this event is reason enough to suggest the donation of the complex would be logical.

Graduation is a heady time for children. They are breaking from the bonds of childhood and going out into the real world. The night of graduation with all their peers fosters feelings of invincibility that have unfortunately, prior to dry graduation celebrations, often resulted in severe injury or death. Death of a young person, especially in a community our size, touches everyone.

The purpose of Dry Grad is to provide a safe, alcohol- and drug-free event and it has succeeded.

There has not been a death or serious injury since Dry Grad was initiated. We implore this joint committee between the CRD and the city to reconsider its decision.

If the requirement to pay for the complex is not reversed, we will need more understanding and generosity from everyone in the community as we continue to try and finance this event that saves lives.

Teresa Newsome, representing the Dry Grad Committee,

Williams Lake