Class of 2026 · Daniel Hand High School · Madison, CT

An all-night
celebration of
graduation.

A safe, substance-free tradition for DHHS seniors, run by parents and the community since 1989.

Date
Wed · June 17, 2026
Doors
9:30 PM — Sunrise
Location
Daniel Hand HS
286 Green Hill Rd
Register Your Senior Registration & yard signs through Givebutter. Minimal cost for graduates.

About

A safe, supervised night, planned by the community.

Nite in Hand is a community-run Project Graduation event that has kept Daniel Hand seniors safe on graduation night since 1989.

Every year, parents and volunteers transform the high school into an all-night celebration: arcade games, inflatables, food trucks, a photo booth, movies, raffles, and a final drawing just before dawn. Everything is for graduating seniors.

The mission is simple. Graduation night has historically been one of the highest-risk nights of a young person's life. We give every senior somewhere fun, safe, and substance-free to celebrate with their entire class, supervised by their own parents and neighbors.

Nite in Hand is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity. Every dollar goes directly to the event.

1989 Founded as Project Graduation
184 Seniors in Class of 2026
9 HRS Activities, food & supervision
100% Volunteer-run & community-funded

The Night

From doors to sunrise.

Nine hours, structured and supervised, with something happening the whole time. Specific prize drawings and the grand prize remain a surprise on the night.

9:30 PM
Doors & Check-in
Seniors arrive at the high school. Each gets a bag, lanyard, and welcome kit. Once you're in, you're in for the night.
10 PM
Activities Open
Arcade stations, green-screen photo booth, food trucks, and the candy bar all go live.
10:45 PM
Plinko Begins
Six Plinko sessions across the night. Winners drawn from the lotto ball cage take a shot at the board for the biggest prizes.
11 PM - 1 AM
LET'S GET READY TO ROCK!
"our's go to eleven"
12 AM – 4 AM
Movie Block & Raffles & Food Trucks
Classics on the big screen. Continuous raffle drawings. Food Trucks.
4:45 AM
Grand Prize Drawing
One name, one grand prize.
5:30 AM
Sendoff
Doors open and seniors head home. No one leaves empty-handed.

For Parents

What you need to know.

01

Check-in

Drop-off at DHHS starts at 9:30 PM on June 17. Your senior just needs to be registered through Givebutter — we'll match them on the roster at the door.

02

Pickup

Pickup is 5:30 AM on June 18 at the school. Seniors are not permitted to leave before then.

03

No Re-Entry

Once a senior is checked in, they stay for the whole event. This is core to keeping the night safe and substance-free.

04

Supervision

The event is staffed all night by approximately 70 parent and community volunteers.

05

Substance-free

This is a substance-free environment. Bags are checked at the door. Any senior who appears under the influence will not be admitted, and parents will be called.

The Team

Run by parents, for graduates.

Organizer
Bill Johnson
Entertainment
Simon Gharibian
Treasurer
Janice Wolf
Secretary
Lisa Rana