Riverhead Honors Seniors With Drive-Thru Celebration

RIVERHEAD, NY — Despite coronavirus, educators, parents and friends are expected to turn out in force Friday night to celebrate Riverhead High School's Class of 2020.

To honor the hard work and dedication of the graduates, who have seen their dreams for a traditional senior year deferred, the Riverhead Central School District is slated to host a drive-through celebration from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the high school.

The celebration comes after a group of seniors shared their input during a Zoom roundtable discussion with Superintendent of Schools Dr. Aurelia Henriquez, Principal Sean O’Hara and other district members to brainstorm ways to recognize the Class of 2020, the district said.

“It is so important to pay tribute to these students who are missing their senior year,” said Dr. Henriquez. “They are very deserving of this honor.”

As part of the drive-through experience, seniors and their families were invited to decorate their cars and parade through the high school’s parking lot, starting at the furthest back east entrance and ending at the front of the high school. Along the way, students will be greeted by cheering teachers, first responders and signs in their honor.

"One of our goals is for students to have the kind of high school experience they expect and deserve. This will be a memorable celebration of our Class of 2020," O’Hara added.

School officials asked that all in attendance wear proper personal protective equipment and respect social distancing guidelines.

To share your photos and videos of the celebration for a Patch gallery, email them to Lisa.Finn@patch.com or share them in the comments.