Director Linda Dalton and Decorations Chair Michelle Williams gear up for the Class of 2009 Project Graduation's "Survivors ‘09 The Last of our Kind" event being held at Kingwood High School on May 30.

The community is encouraged to attend the Open House from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, May 30 at the school to get a sneak peak of the elaborate decorations and activities students will enjoy all night long.

Kingwood High School seniors are looking forward to being shipwrecked for seven hours at Project Graduation's "Survivors ‘09 The Last of our Kind” event at the high school on May 30. Following graduation, students will dock at a lagoon of "water" and cross a bridge surrounded by tiki torches and a beach scene to enter a tropical island paradise of fun-filled activities designed specially for them.

“The theme was selected because they survived four years of construction at the high school, not to mention Hurricane Ike,” said Project Grad director Linda Dalton. “In addition, the class is the last one at Kingwood High School to be made up of students from all three middle schools in Kingwood. They truly are the last of their kind.”

A giant treasure map will guide students throughout the more than 18 venues set up around the school. As students walk through a jungle atmosphere decorated with trees vines snakes monkeys and butterflies, they will have an opportunity to play virtual golf and ride a mechanical bull. The black and dangerous pirate hall leads students to the game force/virtual reality room and a bank. Amid palm trees, ship masts, tropical flowers and tiki torches, a chocolate fountain can be enjoyed along with four tables filled with an assortment of great food. There will also be a soda shop/snack bar. This will be decorated as a tiki hut with paper lanterns, flowers and umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. Continuing the tropical theme throughout, the Bingo room will have blue walls decorated with coral reef, fish, and giant jelly fish and Bunco will feature jungle birds. The senior memories hallway will display student photos in treasure chests; the ceiling will be covered in fish nets with shells, crabs, lobsters, and sea weed hanging down. Giant dice stacked by doors that lead to the casino will be a popular destination. Decorated with big casino cards, gold stars, casino chips and a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, the room will include a craps table, roulette wheel, money wheel, blackjack and Texas Hold’em tables for the kids to enjoy.  Two more lavishly decorated rooms will be for Sumo wrestling and ballroom dancing.  The Sumo wrestling room will be decorated in a beautiful oriental fashion and have a very big beautiful dragon inside. The ballroom will be lit with white lights, white trees, and a beautiful glittery Russian castle poster. Everything in this room will be white, gold and silver and will sparkle with the mirror walls. The boardwalk of games will resemble the challenges or the game competition areas of the TV show "Survivor."

Additional venues include: fortune telling, magic, body art, inflatables, laser tag, karaoke, photography, prediction cards and a coffee shop. A DJ will be playing the latest music to get everyone out on the dance floor and a live band will end the night.

The best part is everything at Project Graduation is absolutely free-thanks to contributions from parents and donations from the community. At registration, students will receive a starter supply of “Mustang Bucks”- more bucks can be won during the night by playing the games and participating in the activities. Mustang Bucks can be exchanged for raffle tickets to win great prizes like laptops, TVs, I-Pods, refrigerators, bikes and gift cards. These will be raffled off at the end of the party along with an $18,000 car voucher for one lucky member of the senior class.

“Kingwood High School’s Project Graduation is a wonderful tradition which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since last June, the Class of 2009 Project Graduation Steering Committee has been working hard to raise money and put together this huge party for our graduating seniors at a cost of more than $100,000,” said Dalton. “We want to thank all the businesses and parents who have made Project Graduation a reality through their generous donations.”

The community is encouraged to attend the Open House from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, May 30 at the school to get a sneak peak of the elaborate decorations and activities students will enjoy all night long.

Project Graduation provides graduating seniors with a drug-free and alcohol free environment to celebrate their achievements and their friendships. More than 95% of the approximately 900 graduating seniors in the Class of 2009 are expected to attend. More volunteers are needed to help with a shift during the night. In addition to senior and junior parent volunteers, their friends and relatives, over 25, are encouraged to volunteer. For more information, contact Linda Dalton 281-773-9092 or linda@lindadaltonmarketing.com