For the second year in a row, Mayor Martin and the Hamilton Township Division of Health have awarded grant funding to each of the three Hamilton Township School District high school's Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) for their Project Graduation and After Prom celebrations for the 2024 class.
The grant funding was made possible through a grant the Hamilton Township Division of Health received from the New Jersey Association of County and City Health Officials (NJACCHO). The funding will support health activities throughout the Township, like the After Prom and Project Graduation events, which promote drug and alcohol-free alternatives for soon-to-be graduates. This year’s grant funding awards $10,000 to each PTA.
After Prom and Project Graduation started with parents looking for safe alternative options for their children to continue making memories with classmates before graduation, they have continued to be a long-standing tradition in the community.
The Hamilton Township School District's High School PTA presidents, who are all parents of current students, were overjoyed and expressed their heartfelt thanks to Mayor Martin and the Division of Health upon hearing the news of the additional funding for senior year events:
Nottingham High School PTA President and parent Stephanie Williams says the grant is "a gift of keeping them safe while celebrating together and a gift of inclusion where you are providing students who otherwise cannot afford to participate in making these great memories with their peers, possible."
Hamilton High School West PTA President and parent Tara Medina said, "As a community of volunteers, we do our best to fundraise and support our senior class, but it is not without its challenges. Receiving this scholarship allows us to offer a more robust experience for the kids and alleviate the burden of funding shortages that the students would ultimately have to pay for in order to participate."
Steinert High School's Senior Events & After Prom Committee expressed gratitude to the Township of Hamilton Division of Health for awarding the grant, which will support their main event, the After Prom Party. Steinert PTA President and parent Melissa Spitzner says, "The After Prom Party is a decades-long tradition and is held at Steinert where we completely transform the school into an event to remember, allowing the students to continue to celebrate and make memories with their friends and classmates in a safe, substance-free space." She also explained that there would be additional activities such as "Arcade games, billiards, casino games, a comedic hypnotist show, and so much more" due to the funding provided by the grant.
The Township of Hamilton takes pride in supporting graduating seniors and promoting their success in various events. Mayor Martin expressed, "We are grateful for the opportunity to allocate grant funds to a great cause. Senior year is a significant milestone, and the Township is committed to making it a memorable experience for the students in our town."
Learn more about the Hamilton Division of Health and programs by visiting our website, HamiltonNJ.com/Health.
