Sonoma Valley High School Grad Night to return with car giveaway, full casino

The SVHS celebration is seeking volunteers, cash donations and Amazon wishlist items.|

A car raffle, a full casino and a zip line are some of the highlights planned when Grad Night returns indoors and in style for Sonoma Valley seniors after a two-year absence.

Grad Night wasn’t held indoors the past two years due to the pandemic, but students were given gifts during a “drive-through” event. This year, up to 250 seniors could attend Grad Night, which will take place from 9 p.m. on Friday, June 10, to 5 a.m. to Saturday, June 11 at Sonoma Valley High School.

All seniors living in Sonoma Valley from the Sonoma Valley Unified School District are invited to attend, including Creekside High School students, those attending nonpublic schools through the district as well as those attending online schools that don’t have a Grad Night. Students preregister for the event and check in from 9 to 11 p.m. on June 10. Anyone who has not preregistered can do so on site, but Renea Magnani, the chair of Project Grad Night, encourages advanced registration to help with preparations for the event.

“We hope all seniors who are able to attend will do so,” Magnani said. “This year, there will be no cost for students. We will use past and current donations to make this happen.”

Highlights will include a deejay, a mechanical bull, a movie area with inflatable chairs and couches, a climbing wall, face painting, temporary tattoos and caricatures. Hair stylists, a barber, a singing comedian and a hypnotist will also offer their talents.

“A fun night with seniors is welcome by all and a great way to spend the night,” Magnani said. “There will be entertainment, food and drinks all night. We are still seeking massage therapists and henna artists.”

Magnani served as co-chair of Grad Night in 2019 and chair of the 2020 and 2021 drive-through events. A 1988 alumna of Sonoma Valley High School, she has a daughter who graduated from the school in 2021, with another daughter is set to graduate in 2024.

“The reason I do this is for all seniors to have a safe and sober graduation night,” she said. “Project Grad Night is for this purpose and dates back to the 1980s. It’s intended to keep students safe on graduation night so they can enjoy it with friends and make memories that last a lifetime.”

The night of graduation, many teens went to parties and some drove home intoxicated. Grad Nights were designed to offer students a full night of over-the-top experiences and prizes—a place to make lasting memories while staying safe.

Magnani emphasized that the local event is a community effort.

“This event happens due to the generous community here in Sonoma,” she said. “We have volunteers set up and staff the event through registration and help with food, drinks, games and prizes.”

She said that community members donate many of these items as well as money.

“Silveira Chevrolet will again partner with us to provide a car as a raffle prize—a car!” Magnani said.

The Project Grad Night group is seeking volunteers and funds for prizes, food and drinks. Anyone interested in helping to provide seniors with one final hurrah can contact Magnani at SVHSGradNight@gmail.com or 707-337-9770. People can also shop from Amazon to donate prizes for Sonoma Valley Grad Night 2022 on the custom gift list here.

Reach the reporter, Dan Johnson, at daniel.johnson@sonomanews.com

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.