Surprise parade celebrates Daniel Boone graduates DANIEL BOONE AREA HIGH SCHOOL
Parade reminds Class of 2020 there are still plenty of ways to make positive memories
The Daniel Boone Blazer Education Foundation Surprise Parade celebrated the graduating seniors of Daniel Boone Area High School on Friday, May 22. A procession of decorated emergency vehicles, trucks, cars and buses visited each senior at their home to congratulate the Class of 2020.
“Since I can’t celebrate my graduation at the school with my friends, I’m so thankful that the Blazer Foundation went above and beyond, and took the time to make this very special,” said Daniel Boone graduating senior Katrina Robbins, 18, Birdsboro.
“The parade was an effort to remind the Class of 2020 that while the end of the year may not look exactly as they had expected, there are still plenty of ways to make positive memories and we hope this is one of them,” said Blazer Education Foundation President Scott Matz President, Daniel Boone Director of Technology. “It was also a great way to show we’re still together as a community, even when we are being asked to be distant.”
Volunteers from the Blazer Education Foundation, Daniel Boone teachers, Daniel Boone administration, members of the Daniel Boone School Board, borough and township officials, and the police and fire department all participated in a parade to congratulate the Daniel Boone Class of 2020. They visited all 263 homes of the senior class.
The Blazer Foundation planned and kept this a secret from the seniors. The yard signs and gifts were paid for by donations through the Blazer Education Foundation.
“I wanted to give everyone a hug, parents and seniors alike, but of course I can’t,” said Daniel Boone School Board President Julia Olafson. “Whatever we do, it doesn’t take place of prom, and their class trip, I just want them to know we want to do what we can to make graduation special for them.”
The celebration brought tears to the eyes of many.
“Everyone that started crying made me start crying, in a good way,” said Olafson. “It was very emotional.”
On behalf of Birdsboro Borough, Councilman Toni Scioli handed out a gift to every senior, including a yard sign for his own daughter who is graduating this year.
“It was a joy and a pleasure to take part in the Daniel Boone Blazer Education Foundation Surprise Parade for the 2020 seniors,” said Scioli. “The Foundation handed out yard signs and gift bags. I joined as a representative of Birdsboro Council to send out sincerest congratulations to the Class of 2020.”
Each senior received a wooden replica of Daniel Boone Area High School and a congratulatory letter as a token to remember their home town.
“The students and parents were very surprised and emotional. This was something they can remember while their final year was interrupted by COVID-19. Prom, sports, trips, and clubs were canceled. Graduation will not be traditional and require creativity,” said Scioli. “We are so proud of the 2020 class of great vision. May you always do great things with your lives.”
His daughter, graduating Daniel Boone senior, Renee Scioli, 17, Birdsboro, was certainly surprised by the parade.
“At first I wasn’t sure what was happening. I heard sirens and I peeked outside my window. I saw trucks, cars, and buses decorated to congratulate the Class of 2020,” said Renee.
The cars came to a stop and her Dad stepped out of the car with a yard sign.
“Not just any sign, this sign had my senior portrait on the front!” she said. “The parade brought me to tears as I saw some of my former and current teachers drive by cheering. It was even more unbelievable that my Dad had kept the secret from me, although, it made the experience all the more special.”
Renee also received gifts that she is “beyond thankful for.”
“While the Class of 2020 did not have their traditional ceremony yet, this was truly an uplifting experience that I will always remember,” said Renee.
According to Blazerfoundation.org, the Blazer Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization created and administered by a board of community volunteers to receive and allocate resources that will serve to enhance the district’s educational and cultural programs and enrich the students of the Daniel Boone Area School District. “We are partners with the Daniel Boone School District, its students and its community; however we are not a branch of the School District.”
The foundation obtains funding from donations from businesses and individuals, and uses those funds to provide enhancements to educational opportunities that may not be supported by the school district’s budget, according to the foundation website.