When Bryan Elliot learned of the limited Grade 12 graduation offerings his son, Zachary, would get due to COVID-19 restrictions, he set out to do something special.
The member of the Highway 11 Cruisers Car Club helped assemble 60 cars near his front lawn, the mustering point for a drive-by honouring all Newmarket graduates last night, July 7.
Elliot said it was “incredible” and meant a lot to his son.
“Everybody was just in great spirits,” he said. “It was kind of like COVID didn’t exist for a few minutes.”
The club did a route through town starting at 7 p.m., including Newmarket High School, Sacred Heart Catholic High School, Huron Heights Secondary School, Dr. John M. Denison Secondary School and Sir William Mulock Secondary School. They also drove by Southlake Regional Health Centre and Main Street.
Elliot said he was motivated when he learned York Region District School Board was favouring virtual graduations only.
“We wanted to celebrate these kids because they all worked so hard — twice as hard with online learning,” he said.
Poplar Bank Public School Grade 8 graduate Naima Koch watched the parade from Newmarket High School alongside fellow grad Ethan McFarlane. She said it was exciting for people to be able to gather for the event.
“Having a little sense of normalcy,” Koch said, “It’s going to be really cool to actually see.”
McFarlane said it is difficult to compare this year's experience to previous graduations as he has not experienced one in a normal year.
"I don't know what a normal year's graduation looks like," McFarlane said. "It just seems like this is normal."
But she said a school-organized drive-by with teachers a few weeks ago was enjoyable.
“We had a feeling it was going to be different, but we didn't know how different,” she said. “We’ve become so accommodating, it’s kind of just easy to roll with it.”
High school graduates were absent near several of the schools on the route. Elliot said the club struggled to get the word out through schools given hesitancy under pandemic restrictions. But he said they were able to spread the word on social media and get some people to come out.
“We actually had quite a few people along those routes. Waving and hooting and hollering as we were going by. Lots of cellphones in the air," he said.
The event did attract non-graduates as the Cruisers went through different neighbourhoods. Donny Jacobs set up lawn chairs to watch the show with his family on Srigley Street.
“We enjoy old cars. It’s nice that you see some old ones and some new ones now,” Jacobs said.
Elliot said it is the first large event organized by the club since May 2020, when they did a drive-by for frontline workers. He said they hope to hold another event later in the summer, but it is frustrating waiting for restrictions to lift.
Still, he said he appreciated the car and Newmarket community for supporting the graduates.
“It’s good to see people get back out and get back to a normal life,” he said. “It makes me very proud to be a resident of Newmarket.”