Hunting Hills grad Emma Schafer with her grad lawn sign from Jennifer Donnelly Photography. (Supplied)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

class of 2021

Lawn signs to bolster grads’ spirits and help charity

Jun 12, 2021 | 11:56 AM

A central Alberta photographer is once again brightening the season for this year’s high school graduating class.

Jennifer Donnelly, through her business Donnelly Photography, is selling 16″x24″ grad lawn signs, an option she started and was very popular in 2020. Partial proceeds go to charity.

“For many, graduation is a big deal. For parents, watching their kids cross the stage, they could not be more proud of them,” says Donnelly. “For many graduates, they have waited 13 years and have worked so hard and diligently to get there. Recognition is key, and as a community it is important to celebrate their journey and successes.”

Emma Schafer, a grade 12 student at Hunting Hills High School, says the year has been difficult for her and other grads, so the chance to get a sign is something positive amid the recent doldrums.

“When I saw the signs last year, it made me feel sorry for, but also proud of the grads. I knew how hard they were working to graduate, so I hope when people see my sign, they think the same thing,” says Schafer.

Individuals aged 55 and over

Central Alberta Older Adult Employment Strategy Assessment Project full report released

14h ago

UPDATE

Red Deer Polytechnic confirms student death on-campus

18h ago

retrofitting building

Carnival Cinemas applies to rezone for residential development

20h ago

On what she’s learned from the pandemic and wants to share with fellow students, she says, “It’s important to be in the moment and to take every single thing in. Even though it might seem like stuff is going slow, it actually goes by so incredibly fast. So be present and be grateful for what is happening even when something isn’t going your way.”

Last year, sign sales raised more than $6,700 for the Red Deer Food Bank. This year, $10 from the sale of each $40 sign goes to the Smiles Thru Lindsey Foundation and local youth sports programs. Sales are available to non-Red Deer residents.