ANB Bank sponsors Albany County's drug-free Project Graduation event

ANB Bank’s sponsorship will help keep one of Albany County’s biggest senior sendoffs free, safe and alcohol-free as the 42nd annual Laramie Project Graduation brings graduates together at the Laramie Ice and Event Center on May 29.

The celebration is set for 10 p.m. after Laramie High School’s graduation day activities, with the party running until 2 a.m. on May 30. Check-in is listed for 9:30 p.m., with doors closing at 10:30 p.m. The night is being promoted with more than $27,000 in prizes, plus free food, games, live entertainment, a comedian and a mind reader.

For Albany County families, the event is more than a party. Project Graduation was created as a safe alternative to the risks that can follow commencement night, when alcohol, drugs and reckless driving have long threatened what should be a milestone for seniors and their parents. City records say the tradition began in 1984, and community calendar listings say parents of Albany County School District seniors have organized it since 1986.

The event is open to all Albany County graduates, including seniors from Laramie High School, Rock River, Whiting and homeschool programs. It is designed as a free community sendoff, giving students a place to celebrate with classmates after the ceremony without the pressure or danger that can come with unsupervised parties.

Laramie High School’s senior schedule places Project Graduation directly after the day’s formal graduation events, with rehearsal at 9 a.m. and the ceremony at 7 p.m. on May 29. That timing has made the Ice and Event Center a familiar final stop for families who want the night to end with food, games and a locked-in, supervised crowd instead of an uncertain drive or a late-night gathering elsewhere.