Our South Lake Tahoe community has a definite hometown feel and vibe. I moved to Tahoe in 1993 and was thrilled when I felt I could finally call myself a local. Working in a small town alongside neighbors, co-workers, and family, there were lots of shared values we had in common with one another. Shifting from seasonal work into year-round employment led me to the pleasure of working at Heavenly Mountain Resort where I fell in love with their EpicPromise program. Vail Resorts Epic Promise program provided vision, support, and focus on our environment and giving back to the communities in which we each lived. Our Mountains * Our Communities * Our Future.
Their mission and values greatly affected my own experience of a lifetime as a South Lake Tahoe community member. I always felt a sense of pride when I participated in or led an EpicPromise event as my experience of wanting to volunteer emerged throughout our community and I saw the various partnerships evolve.
One of these partnerships was with our local non-profit group South Tahoe Grad Night 501(c)(3). Every spring at the California Main Lodge, at Heavenly Mountain Resort, a lively group of parents from our local high school would transform the lodge into this amazing venue to host the annual Grad Night for our town’s graduating seniors.
The South Tahoe Grad Night Task Force, as it was called, was established in 1992 and has been providing a safe and sober grad night celebration for South Lake’s graduating seniors. The connection between the Vail Resorts EpicPromise program and the South Tahoe Grad Night Team was an excellent match as Heavenly provided an amazing venue and location for the annual event. Little did I know that I was destined to have a turn to volunteer and join the Grad Night Team many years later.
This year the South Tahoe Grad Night Team will provide yet another amazing event and celebration for Mt. Tallac, Elevated, and South Tahoe High School Class of 2025, graduating seniors on Friday, June 13th, 2025. Our mission is to keep our young adults safe on their graduation night and to celebrate and recognize their achievements.
Fundraising is ongoing throughout the year and volunteers will step up for their turn in this awesome rite of passage for a safe night of activities, raffles, and extreme fun like no other. As we appreciate and thank our sponsors throughout the year, I wanted to highlight our partnership with EpicPromise and share my gratitude for the connections and my experience of volunteering for a great cause.
Each year we rely on our community to rise to the occasion and help provide our children with an amazing gift of time to celebrate their high school graduation night together. I would highly recommend that you find your way of giving back to our community, whether that be through a donation, volunteering, or learning about our local non-profits and how you can help lead success in our unique South Lake Tahoe community. Thank you for reading. Please join our socials and tell a friend.
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STHSSoberGradNight
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sthsgradnight/
Email: sthsgradnight@gmail.com
Donations welcome.
Sincerely, Leslie Amato, Parent, Grad Night Team Volunteer, and South Lake Tahoe Community Member