Los Alamos honors Class of 2026 at Senior Appreciation Night

Downtown Los Alamos became a community handoff for the Class of 2026 on Saturday as the Family YMCA’s Senior Appreciation Night gathered graduating Los Alamos High School seniors at Fuller Lodge and Ashley Pond Park. The evening mixed celebration with practical support, giving seniors a structured night that included a raffle for prizes, a transportation link through Atomic City Transit, and activities led by local agencies and volunteers.

The event also showed how many parts of town still rally around one graduating class. Los Alamos Police Department officers ran a safety-related activity in the library parking lot, Los Alamos Fire Department members took part in a separate activity for seniors, and Zia Credit Union hosted a booth at Ashley Pond Park. Volunteers helped coordinate the evening, reinforcing the YMCA’s role as organizer and the broader civic network around it.

Senior Appreciation Night did not begin with the party itself. At Los Alamos High School’s Senior Talk on Wednesday, May 20, at Duane Smith Auditorium, staff handed out caps and gowns while Family YMCA and Los Alamos County Recreation Department staff briefed seniors on what to expect. The graduation itself was set for Saturday, May 23, at Sullivan Field, beginning at 9 a.m. with no tickets required, making the weekend a full passage from school life into the next stage.

The tradition has deep roots in Los Alamos. The Family YMCA said in 2023 that Senior Appreciation Night had been running for 39 years, with 37 successful celebrations after the event was paused in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization also said the night cost a little over $12,000 to stage, underscoring how heavily it depends on volunteers, sponsors and donations.

That support has long stretched across town. In 2023, about 245 people visited the Teen Center, about 140 seniors gathered at Fuller Lodge for breakfast around 2:30 a.m., and Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos members provided food and oversaw roller skating and games. Other familiar partners have included Mesa Public Library, Los Alamos County Recreation, the Los Alamos Teen Center, PEEC, SALA, local churches and businesses, along with the Los Alamos Arts Council and Barranca Mesa PTO in the wider community mix.

For the Class of 2026, the message was clear: Los Alamos was not just celebrating the end of high school. It was actively helping students move into adulthood with transportation, safety, recognition and a network of adults and institutions still invested in their next step.