Nearly 125 graduates took advantage of the opportunity to spend one final night of high school together on the campus of Escalon High School, where the Sober Grad Night party was hosted for students in the Class of 2026 from Escalon, Vista and Gateway Academy high schools.
Sober Grad coordinator Krysten Lial said they opened the grad night party up to all three high schools this year, though with small classes at Vista and Gateway, the majority of the 122 total attendees were from Escalon High School. It still represented a large percentage of the graduating class, which was around 175 students this year.
“We have the casino tables, the Escape Room again, which is always a huge hit and new this year we have a Game Truck, which has several TV screens for things like X-Box, PlayStation,” Lial said.
Students signed up for a turn in the Game Truck in 30-minute increments and it could accommodate several students at one time, with multiple screens in operation.
Also offered for the students, with check in beginning at 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 29 and the Sober Grad Night running through 3 a.m. Saturday, May 30, were music, food, the popular cornhole tournament, the Paint Night featuring a customizable Cougar Paw painting, two different photo booths including the 360-style for videos and the traditional photo booth with props, as well as Henna tattoos. There was an inflatable basketball game and the Velcro-style ax throwing, both set up adjacent to the cornhole tournament on the tennis courts at EHS. Music was provided by a DJ set up outside the main gym and there were tables available for eating in that area as well.
Lial said main food features this year for students were Raising Cane’s chicken, Menchie’s frozen yogurt and D’Boni’s pizza.
Many of the activities were set up in the cafeteria on the EHS campus, and also included was a lounge area with plush chairs where students could sign yearbooks, eat or just relax.
Alec Huerta, an EHS graduate, had settled in to the Paint Night area around 10:30 p.m. Friday.
“My mother really likes to see the detail in paintings so you can tell that it was handmade and I’m trying to make sure I put that in mine today,” he said of the Cougar Paw Print keepsake, which he said he would “probably” give to his mom as a memento of his graduation night.
“I thought it would be really fun,” he added of why he wanted to attend Sober Grad. “I definitely didn’t want to regret not going … I’m pretty excited about checking out the Escape Room.”
He also was looking forward to the hypnotist show that traditionally closes out the Sober Grad Night activities.
Each student attending got to pick a ‘money ball’ out of the box upon check in and keep the cash, with prizes ranging from $10 to $100, with one $100 money ball available.
Lial said there were also plenty of other prizes to be awarded during the night, with grand prizes including lap tops and $500 in cash, in addition to Golden Ticket items ranging from a 32-inch TV to an iPad to a $100 gas card.
Organizers were pleased with the turnout as well as the wide variety of prizes, with the goal of the Sober Grad event to make sure every student attending goes home with something.
