Philomath graduates will celebrate into the wee hours on June 6 to continue a tradition that relies entirely on parent volunteers and community donations.
The Senior All-Night Party typically runs on Philomath High’s graduation night from approximately 8:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. and offers activities ranging from a mechanical bull to trivia contests with cash prizes. The event is held at the high school and is open to graduates from both PHS and Philomath Academy.
Paula May is a part of the organizing committee for the second time with her daughter, Shaylee, set to graduate in June. She was also involved when her son, Ty, graduated with the Class of 2023.
“It just gets passed down from year to year — people volunteer to help out,” May said. “When the kids register, there’s usually a table there where you can sign up.”
The event is not school-sponsored. A parent committee with a chair (May), secretary (Tiffany Denue) and treasurer (Jamie Beddingfield) coordinates the logistics and finances. May said about a dozen people attend monthly planning meetings with around 25 volunteers working the night of the event.
Structure and supervision
Parent volunteers arrive early to set up and then stay late to help tear it down, May said.
“When kids arrive, they have to check in anything they brought with them,” she said. “They can keep their cellphones, but everything else gets checked into an area supervised by parents. If they leave during the night, they’re not allowed to come back in — it’s strictly you come in, you’re there the whole time, and then you leave when it’s over.”
Parents are stationed throughout the venue to monitor the event and ensure it remains alcohol and drug free. Food and beverages are provided.
Entertainment includes a magician who has worked the event for several years, as well as equipment from Wacky Bounce. Owner Rick Bennett provides discounted rates for items like this year’s mechanical bull.
One activity called the “Cash Cab” involves a parent driving a side-by-side vehicle around the track while students in groups of two to four answer trivia questions for cash prizes. A casino area with card games and roulette allows students to earn tickets for prize drawings held at the end of the night.
The committee has purchased items including TVs, paddleboards and Apple Watches for the drawings. All attendees also receive door prize tickets for items like hammocks and water bottles. A slideshow of childhood photos of graduates is shown during the evening.
Funding model
Students pay a participation fee of $75 if registered before Dec. 10. The fee increases to $100 after that date, with one additional price increase before the event.
“The hope is that most parents will pay on the front end because that’s when we have to pay for Wacky Bounce, the magician and all the different things to get them set up,” May said.
The committee aims to raise $8,000 to $10,000 in donations to supplement the participation fees. The group also does a couple of other fundraisers, such as those that involve Papa’s Pizza and Chick-fil-A.
The organization is nonprofit with a tax ID, allowing donors to claim contributions as charitable deductions.
Activity sponsorships are available at $250 or $500. Sponsorships can also cover student tickets for families who cannot afford the participation fee.
“The year Ty graduated, I think there were 10 to 15 kids that needed sponsorships and that’s a huge amount,” May said. “So if people can just even sponsor a kid, it’s amazing because there are quite a few families that just don’t have the extra $75.”
May believes the PHS Class of 2026 has about 125 seniors, so this next edition will involve more students than usual. Philomath Academy’s graduates could push the participation number close to 150.
The committee expects about 90% of graduates to attend.
Graduation night tradition
The tradition of a supervised graduation night event for Philomath students extends back years. May, herself a PHS graduate, recalls an earlier version held at Timberhill Athletic Club in Corvallis before the event moved to the high school, likely due to rental costs.
May described the event’s purpose as providing graduates a final gathering in a supervised setting.
“It’s an opportunity as a community to support this graduating class in a safe environment where they get to have fun, they get to be honored and recognized,” she said. “It’s a pretty fun thing to be a part of.”
Donations can be made via Venmo QR code or by check payable to “PHS Senior All-Night Party 2026” mailed to SANP 2026, 2054 Applegate St., Philomath, OR 97370. More information is available at philomathseniorparty@gmail.com.
Philomath High School’s graduation is June 6. Philomath Academy’s graduation follows on June 10.