Letter to the Editor: Thank You Herndon for Making ANG Possible

On behalf of the 2012 All Night Grad Committee and the senior families at Herndon High School, we’d like to thank the many organizations, businesses and individuals for their part in making the All Night Grad Celebration a tremendous success.

In particular, we’d like to recognize the Town of Herndon, the Herndon Chamber of Commerce and the Herndon Optimist Club for their many, many years of support for the Herndon High School All Night Grad Parties. Your support reminds us every year what a fabulous community Herndon is and sends a clear message that our youth are an important part of what makes Herndon a great place to live. 

We’d also like to thank the many businesses who made donations to make the night of success. Donations were made to our “adults only” Casino Night & Silent Auction Fundraiser earlier this year, as well as to the ANG Party itself. 

We thank: Burger’s Cabinet Shop, HHS PTSA, Herndon Women’s Club, St. Thomas a Becket Church, Reston Association, Rockwell Collins, Adams Green Funeral Home, Armstrong Elementary School PTA, Costco, Dranesville Elementary School PTA, Freddie Mac, Griffin-Owens Insurance, Herndon Fortnightly Club, Main Street Bank, Marilyn & Michael Fitzgerald, Santini’s Reston, Glory Days Grill, Great Falls Ecumenical Council, Herndon Masonic Lodge, Merrifield Garden Center, Shoppers Food Warehouse, and Veronica Hensley (Tastefully Simple) for their financial support.

We also thank: Anita’s, Baja Fresh, The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards , Barrel Oak Winery, Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast, Buffalo Wild Wings, California Tortilla, Calvert Rejuvenations, Chick-fil-A Sterling, Choice Hotels, Cindy Wei Tupperware, Dunkin Donuts, Einstein Bagels, Federal Blackbox, Full Moon Pottery, Giant Food, Go Ape Treetop Adventure, Glory Days, Great American Restaurants, Great Harvest Bread, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, HHS Sports Boosters, Herndon Optimist Club, Houlihan’s, JJ Deli, Jammin Java, Jiffy Lube Live, Julie's Sweets, On The Border, Massanutten, Maude Hair Salon, Mayflowers, Meadows Farms, Mon Ami Gabi, Mount Vernon, Pev's Paintball, Principal William Bates, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Reston Limousine, Reston National Golf Course, Reston Therapeutic Massage, River Riders, Inc, Rossen Landscaping, Dr. Craig Scimeca, Shenandoah River Outfitters Inc, Shoppers Food Warehouse, Stone’s Cove Kit Bar, Taggarts and Kennedy BBQ, Tangerine Dream, Trader Joes, Tri Therapeutic Massage, Two Laughing Ladies, Vamoose Bus, Virginia Gold Cup Association, Virginia Oaks Golf Club, Washington Capitals, Washington Nationals, Washington Redskins, Whole Foods, The Wine Cabinet, WMZQ, Worldgate Sport and Health and Worldgate Theatres for their donations of food, prizes and auction items. 

In addition to the many businesses that made the celebration such a huge success, there were many volunteers who were also an important part of the celebration. Without the help of many senior parents (and their extended families), junior parents, sophomore parents and even some freshman parents, we could not have provided all of the entertainment, activities, and food that the kids enjoyed all night long. However, I’m sure most of the volunteers would agree that it was worth the late hours just to see the sheer joy on the kids’ faces as they enjoyed their party.  

There were more than 300 graduates who attended the celebration that was held on June 14-15 at the Herndon Community Center. We thank the Herndon Community Center and the incredible staff there for their hospitality in hosting our celebration year after year.

With the outstanding support of our community, we were able to distribute over $24,000 in cash and prizes to the attendees. The night’s activities included many inflatable games such as a mega obstacle course, jousting, and tug of war; caricature artists; seated massage; photo opportunities; air brush tattoos; and a casino run by the Herndon Optimist Club.

Every student who attended received a door prize—this year a black fleece blanket with a red “H” in the corner—and all had the opportunity to exchange “casino cash” for prizes or take their chances to win more or lose it all in the casino. Students were able to exchange their casino cash and winnings for items ranging from sheets, towels and other dorm room essentials to gift cards to college-themed apparel. There was food all night and fun for all.

The celebration concluded with acclaimed illusionist Alain Nu, followed by our Grand Prize drawings, which included prizes such as iPads, game systems, concert tickets, TVs, and even a few laptop computers. 

It is exciting to see the community come together to support our young adults as they end one phase of their life and begin a new one. Herndon’s All Night Graduation Celebrations have been around for more than 20 years. The importance of providing a safe, alcohol- and drug-free environment for our graduating seniors to celebrate has never diminished. We are grateful that the Herndon community embraces this celebration every year and supports it with enthusiasm. You are never too young or too old to support the graduating class. It is a fantastic event to be involved with, whether or not you have a senior.

If you are not familiar with the All Night Grad Celebration, I encourage you to visit our website to learn more and to see the many businesses and individuals who supported the Class of 2012 All Night Grad Party (www.herndonang.org). The HHS ANG Celebration could only have been made possible with the support and interest of the Herndon community, and we thank each and every one of you!

Sincerely, 

Leslie Petty, ANG 2012 Chair & the 2012 All Night Grad Committee