PAGELAND, S.C. — Schools and communities across the Charlotte area are having to get creative with graduations and celebration events for the class of 2020.
The town of Pageland brought its A-game when it comes to honoring the senior class from two local high schools.
Parents and families lined McGregor Street Friday for a parade their own kids were in, in full cap and gown.
"This is so exciting," said Renee Faile, whose son is graduating from Central High School.
"When this first started happening, we were just so upset, thinking they weren’t going to get to have any kind of graduation or anything,” Faile said.
The seniors at Central High graduated at 8:30 Friday morning, dodging rain drops in the school’s football stadium. At noon, there was a full parade downtown escorted by police and firefighters.
Frankie Myers' daughter is among the graduates.
"She's much smarter than I am," Myers said smiling. "You couldn't ask for a better child. This means a lot."
Knowing the turmoil that coronavirus brought to the class of 2020, Pageland Mayor Jason Evans and chamber of commerce president Tim Griffin worked to do something special.
"We had to do this. Our seniors have been robbed so much of their memories and the joys of their senior year," Griffin said.
Seniors from Central and South Pointe Christian School were asked to create posters expressing themselves and sharing thoughts about their school year. Those posters are now hanging in shop windows all over town. They tell the story of these kids who had an experience unlike any other class.
"We prepare for this for like twelve entire years, and then it kind of just got ripped away out of nowhere," graduate Jzurnee Myers said.
Seniors enjoyed seeing the support they got from their friends and neighbors, but felt all this goodwill should be passed on. They said future graduating classes deserve something special too.
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