Parade of Destinations a celebration of seniors

Published June 10, 2020

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — It was a Lynnfield Lap for the ages.

The 153 members of the Lynnfield High School Class of 2020 were treated like rock stars during the Parade of Destinations on Wednesday, June 3. Principal Bob Cleary said LHS decided to host the parade in order to celebrate the Class of 2020’s accomplishments during Senior Week, which was completely different this year in the wake of schools being closed due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic.

“It was awesome and a ton of fun,” said Cleary. “It was pretty exciting to see so many people in town come out to support our seniors.”

Assistant Principal Brian Bates agreed.

“It has definitely been a trying time the last couple of months, and this was a great way for the community to come together and show their support for the seniors who are graduating,” said Bates. “It was a great moment to celebrate.”

Cleary noted the Parade of Destinations was inspired not only by recent parades in town, but seniors’ tradition of announcing which college they will be attending by wearing that school’s sweatshirt on May 1.

“We were disappointed we weren’t able to do that this year,” said Cleary. “We decided to have a Parade of Destinations so students could announce where they are going. It had that same feeling, except it was in the middle of Senior Week. It’s great they were able to have this celebration.”

The cars students rode in were decorated with signs and decorations of the colleges they will be attending. The schools that were highlighted included High Point University, Northeastern University, Syracuse University, UMass-Amherst, University of New Hampshire and the University of Virginia.

After the parade’s participants turned right onto Essex Street, they proceeded to travel on Pillings Pond Road, Wildewood Drive, Edgemere Road, Archer Lane, Summer Street, Main Street, Chestnut Street, Lowell Street and Main Street before returning to LHS.

“We were a little nervous because it was a long route, but it was really nice because there were pockets all along the way so there weren’t any dead spots,” said Cleary. “The community’s response was tremendous. We had young and old, people who had kids and people who didn’t. There was even a landscaping crew that was cheering for us. It was really fun to see everyone applauding and cheering on the seniors. It was awesome.”

Bates said the parade’s route was “packed” with people.

“We saw a lot of former graduates, family members and even people without students at the high school out along the route,” said Bates. “There was not one area of town where people were not cheering on these seniors, who have gone through so much this year. It was a great way to bring the community together in this trying time.”

Lynnfield High valedictorian Lexi Allain, who will be headed to Northeastern this fall, had a blast during the Parade of Destinations.

“It was really special that we were able to do something to incorporate the entire grade because we haven’t seen each other in a few months,” said Lexi. “I loved seeing the teachers from the elementary schools and the middle school come out and celebrate with us. It was really nice of them to take time out of their day to support us.”

Student Council President Emma Nardone agreed.

“It was amazing to see so many members of the community come out to support the graduating class,” said Emma, who is headed to the University of Virginia this fall. “It was a fun event not only for the students, but their families as well. On behalf of the senior class, I would like to thank Mrs. Tremblay, Mr. Cleary and Mr. Bates for organizing the parade. It was truly the highlight of our Senior Week.”

Senior Class President Megan Battaglia concurred with Lexi and Emma’s point of view.

“It was awesome that the community came together to celebrate with us,” said Megan, who is headed to Syracuse University this fall. “There were families who had young children holding signs, which really resonated with me because I don’t know them. It’s super nice that the community came out to celebrate with us.”

Lexi’s mom, Kerrianne, said the town’s support for the Class of 2020 has been “awesome.”

“The parade was so special for the kids,” said Kerrianne.

“It was so much fun seeing people waving and cheering the seniors on as we drove around town. It made the kids feel really special.”

School Committee Vice Chairman Rich Sjoberg, whose daughter Ashley will be attending High Point University in North Carolina this fall, said the Parade of Destinations was a lot of fun.

“I would like to congratulate the Lynnfield High School Class of 2020,” said Sjoberg. “We are so fortunate to have a child in this class full of kind, respectful and wonderful kids.”

Superintendent Jane Tremblay said the Parade of Destinations was “45 minutes of pure joy and happiness.”

“I think that is exactly what we needed right now,” said Tremblay. “The smiles and the cheers were unbelievable. I can’t thank the community enough for coming out to support our seniors. It was absolutely, positively amazing.”

Cleary said the Class of 2020 “have handled themselves so well” since schools were closed due to the ongoing pandemic.

“They have had a lot of poise and have really handled the situation well,” said Cleary. “They haven’t complained, which they could have done because they have lost an awful lot. They have been super positive about stuff and really responsive to the things we have done. They did what we thought they would do, which is respond in a positive manner. They have handled themselves really well.”

Cleary thanked Police Chief David Breen and Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director Glenn Davis for approving the Parade of Destinations. He also thanked the community, especially parents and students, for coming out to support the Class of 2020.

Tremblay also thanked teachers and coaches for supporting the seniors during the parade.