Medicine Hat High School graduates celebrate with the traditional tossing of their caps on Thursday, June 25, 2020. (Photo Courtesy of Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

One to remember

Hat High ready to roll with final grad parade for 2020 graduates

Jun 26, 2020 | 4:07 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – If it wasn’t for the pandemic today would have marked the final day of the school year here in Medicine Hat. While it’s not the end to their high school lives the class of 2020, their parents or their teachers imagined. Medicine Hat High School’s graduates will still get a sendoff to remember Saturday in Kin Coulee Park.

The graduates will line the path through the park and welcome well-wishers driving by, honking, cheering and offering congratulations from 3-6 p.m.

When the parade rolls tomorrow, Melanie Hullah will be leading it — if not literally then at least figuratively.

“I am going to decorate the jeep and my pompoms will be out definitely, music will be blaring and we’re just going to celebrate the weekend,” said the proud parent.

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And while many decide they’re a little too cool for their parents during their teenage years, Melanie’s son appreciates his mother’s efforts and knows she’s always in his corner

“It’s kind of nice, my mom’s always pushing me to do stuff,” said Anthony Hullah. “It gets me to do more things, I can meet new people, get new experiences.”

It’s not just Anthony who reaps the benefits of his mother’s support – his friends do too.

“It’s actually really good ’cause she’s like always involved with everything that we have like with football she was like the number one parent there. She was always around to help and stuff,” said Zach McGregor.

Hat High staff are also going to extra lengths to write a special last page for the class of 2020, who had a final chapter like none before.

“We decided to put a sound system together in the back of a truck to play Pomp and Circumstance the sort of traditional march for graduates and have them playing that song and driving through Kin Coulee and blaring it for the parents up at the college parking lot and then also down in Kin Coulee Park,” said school counsellor Leah Steiner.

The speakers will also blare the students’ chosen grad song – I Lived by OneRepublic.

Knowing that they experienced a final few high school months different than any class before, teacher and grad advisor Sheldon Regier said it was important to all the staff to make this week as special as possible.

“For them to have endured what we had to do for the last few months and be able to complete their course work and we need to be able to celebrate that accomplishment,” he said.

Saturday gives Anthony Hullah’s biggest fan one more chance to celebrate her son and other grads and give him and other grads a lesson in giving everything their all

“I give it 100 per cent so cakes are made, cookies are made there’s lots of grad decorations around the house, the jeep will have the big M on there. I’m just full of green spirit,” said Melanie.

In addition to Saturday’s parade, Hat High held individual cap and gown ceremonies for each of its 325 grads throughout the past week.