Amid COVID-19, Fayette’s Class of 2020 gets ‘impressive’ graduation parade at Horse Park.
Riding through the Kentucky Horse Park Thursday in an unprecedented commencement event necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak, Henry Clay High School senior Joshua Rowe said it was not a graduation celebration that he had ever anticipated.
But, said Joshua, “I think it’s actually pretty cool. I still think it’s very nice and I think they’ve done a good job.”
Graduating seniors from each of Fayette County’s high schools on Thursday and Friday are driving through a roughly 3-mile route at the Kentucky Horse Park, decorated with banners and displays celebrating the Class of 2020.
Along the route, teachers and school district advocates were spaced at a minimum of 20-foot intervals to wave to students and cheer them on.
“It’s impressive,” said Paul Laurence Dunbar teacher Tara Wilkinson, who stood along the route. “It’s fun to see, even from a social distance, the people that I work with and I’ve missed so much and to see kids that look happy that are enthusiastic about their future.”
Dunbar Principal Betsy Rains said she hopes the first-of-its kind event can continue in the future.
Even before her students drove past, Rains said, “I’m getting chills just waving at the Henry Clay and Douglass kids.”
Superintendent Manny Caulk was among those cheering what he described as a successful and accomplished class. He said he was excited “to send them off in such a big way.”
Henry Clay High School, Frederick Douglass High School, and Paul Laurence Dunbar High School graduates participated Thursday and Lafayette, Bryan Station and Tates Creek high schools were set to participate on Friday. Students and their parents practiced social distancing at the event co-sponsored by LM Communications, including Hits 106.3 and The Beat 107.9.
2020 graduates haven’t been able to attend traditional commencement ceremonies at Rupp Arena because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Next week, on each of the six main high school campuses, graduates will pick up their diplomas in drive-through events.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 6:06 PM.