Race to raise funds for sober graduation party

John Dodge, a 1991 Carson High School graduate, attended the Safe Grad party his graduation night, when the program was still in its early years.

“I had a ball when I went,” he said.

He wants to make sure the tradition continues for his own children and other Carson High School students.

“It gives them a fun event where they get to hang out together one last time,” he said. “It keeps everybody safe and sober. They get to enjoy the rest of their lives instead of getting into trouble.”

Dodge is serving as race director of the fourth annual Safe Grad 5k Run/Walk on Feb. 15, a fundraiser for the sober graduation party.

The race begins at 10 a.m. at Carson High School, beginning and ending on the track. The course is two times around a 1.6-mile loop through the high school campus.

“It was a hair bit long last year,” Dodge said. “It should be exactly a 5K this year.”

The original race last year was canceled because of a snowstorm and rescheduled. Dodge is hoping to avoid the same problem this year.

“Usually in February it’s a little chilly, but there shouldn’t be any snow on the ground,” he said.

Packet pickup will be from 5-8 p.m. Feb. 12 at CV Sports on Topsy Lane.

Awards will be presented for the overall top male and female finishers, as well as the top finishers for 18 and under. The race will conclude with a raffle with the grand prize of four single-day passes to Disneyland. Raffle tickets cost $5.

The Safe Grad celebration began in 1988 as a way to keep graduation seniors safe and sober. The party begins graduation night at the Carson City Community Center and culminates with a 6 a.m. trip to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif.

The 5K run is the event’s largest fundraiser.