Parsippany Project Graduation Seeks $40,000 for Safe Class of 2026 Celebration

Project Graduation at Parsippany Hills High School and Parsippany High School is raising between $30,000 and $40,000 to fund an all-night, substance-free celebration for the Class of 2026, giving the broader community a concrete way to contribute to a night roughly 450 graduating seniors will actually experience together.

The per-student cost runs approximately $150, which sets a natural giving benchmark. At that rate, a $150 donation covers one senior's full night inside a supervised, activity-filled celebration; a business sponsoring at $1,500 puts ten students there. Organizers are accepting community donations, sponsorships, and gift cards, and any donor whose contribution arrives by May 1 will be recognized by name in the graduation programs for both schools.

The Parsippany Education Foundation seeded the effort with a $2,000 contribution earlier this year. In announcing the donation, PEF noted that "Project Graduation programs play a vital role in providing students with a fun and secure way to celebrate their achievements while offering families peace of mind." The Foundation is not new to this kind of investment: since 1996, PEF has awarded more than $500,000 in grants and scholarships to students across the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District's 14 schools and graduating seniors.

PEF carries 501(c)(3) status and is a listed recipient of the United Way of Morris County, two details worth knowing for anyone with access to a corporate matching program. Many employers match charitable contributions when the recipient is a United Way-affiliated nonprofit. A quick inquiry to an HR or community giving department, noting that PEF holds both designations, is typically enough to initiate a match, effectively doubling a $150 personal gift without additional out-of-pocket cost to the donor.

Donations to PEF can be made via Venmo at @ParsippanyEducationFoundation or by mail to Parsippany Education Foundation, P.O. Box 200, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054-0200. The Foundation also participates in Blue Foundry Bank's Community Alliance Program. Gift cards are explicitly welcome alongside cash donations and sponsorships.

The May 1 recognition deadline is firm: contributions arriving after that date support the celebration but will not appear in the printed graduation programs. With graduation weeks away, Project Graduation organizers are counting on the community to close the gap between current fundraising and a $40,000 goal that funds the kind of night families spend months hoping their seniors choose.