A parade to celebrate high school seniors will be held on May 23 as part of the Senior Movement 2020.

Jasmine McCullough with YUNEity found 51 seniors and 48 sponsors through Facebook who were interested in being part of the project to show community support for high school seniors.

“We just wanted to make sure they know that everything they’re doing is not in vain,” said McCullough. “They have the community behind them and they’re not alone.”
Each of the 51 students was paired with a sponsor. The seniors made a wish list that sponsors used to send them anonymous gifts to brighten their days. Seniors will find out who their sponsor is on May 23 during the parade.

The project began in mid-April before the Picayune School District established plans for a graduation ceremony, said McCullough, and is meant to recognize the hard work that high school seniors have put in over the last four years of school.

Being at home all day was a cultural shock for some kids who are used to spending a full day at school and hanging out with friends, she said. The project is meant to give hope, “to shed light, to let them know it’s not the end,” said McCullough.

On May 23, seniors will meet in vehicles on Goodyear Boulevard between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. wearing matching Senior Movement 2020 T-shirts before caravanning to the sponsors’ homes throughout town. Each sponsor will decorate their yard to celebrate their senior.

Anyone in the community is welcome to come by Goodyear Boulevard to wave to the seniors in the parade while practicing social distancing, said McCullough.

There will be a Senior Movement 2020 Snapchat filter and people will be posting using #SeniorMovement2020 to participate in the digital celebration of seniors.

Three sponsors from the community made donations to cover the cost of the T-shirts. Anyone interested in learning more about the project or supporting it through donations for gift baskets can contact McCullough through Facebook or the Senior Movement 2020 Facebook group.