‘Cary Graduates Together’ Celebration in the Works

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Cary, NC — The Town of Cary is set to honor all of Cary’s graduating seniors in a way that prevents mass gatherings while also giving each graduate their moment to shine.

All graduating seniors living in Cary that wish to be recognized can have their photo projected onto the sides of the Cary Art Center through the month of July and into August. These celebrations will take place over the course of several weeks to give all a chance to see their loved one on the walls.

A statement from the Town says, “We felt that the side of the Cary Arts Center was the perfect place to do this because it was the first school in the Town of Cary and eventually became the first public high school in the town.”

The photos will be put into a slide show for each of the four public Cary high schools and the final week will be held for graduates that attend another high school, are homeschooled, go to private school, or a magnet school that is outside of Cary.

In addition to the slideshows which would run from 9-11 PM on show nights, the colors of the downtown fountain would honor the colors of the high school being honored that week along with a congratulatory message for seniors on the Cary Theater marquee.

For seniors who wish to be honored, here’s how it will work:

Submitting Photos

Each senior will need to submit their photo online during the window of Tuesday, June 16 through midnight on Sunday, June 28.

Photos must:

  • Be taken in portrait orientation
  • Be a senior photo, a cap & gown photo or a team/club picture that only features the graduate
  • In portrait orientation
  • Be a JPEG or PNG file type
  • A resolution of at least 200 dpi (no less than 3000×4000 pixels)
  • Owned by the person or family who are submitting
  • Must not portray any obscene or offensive gestures, overtly political messages, inappropriate clothing, etc.

Slideshow Schedule

The first night is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8. Each night of celebration throughout July and into August will run from 9 PM- 11 PM for best viewing of the photos and colors of the fountain. Pictures will be displayed for about 10-15 seconds, depending on the number of submissions for each of the shows.

Each show will run multiple times for five nights and the time frame for each school is on the webpage.

The schedule (which may be altered if crowds gather or if there is inclement weather) is:

  • Middle Creek High School: Wednesday, July 8, 2020 – Sunday, July 12, 2020
  • Cary High School: Wednesday, July 15, 2020 – Sunday, July 19, 2020
  • Panther Creek High School: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 – Sunday, July 26, 2020
  • Green Hope High School: Wednesday, July 29, 2020 – Sunday, August 2, 2020
  • Cary Seniors from Other High Schools: Wednesday, August 5, 2020 – Sunday, August 9, 2020

How to View the Show Safely

A statement from the Town on the event says, “We know that COVID-19 is still a very serious problem and want to stress that people continue to social distance and encourage them to wear masks when they come to see the showcase. People can also stay in their car and drive by the presentation as well. If people come by and it is very crowded, we ask that they come back another night to see the show.”

The Town has a plan in place to shut down or postpone presentations if overcrowding becomes an issue.

Shows are tentatively set for Wednesdays – Sundays with rain nights built into the schedule for the Mondays and Tuesdays following a school’s time slot. If not needed for rain dates, those nights will remain dark and be used to prepare for the next school’s showcase.

Story by Ashley Kairis. Featured image by Jessica Wolfram, Cary Arts Center photo by the Town of Cary.

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