Graduates enjoy neighborhood parade
Published 9:49 pm Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Hayden Waters, a Nansemond-Suffolk Academy graduate, was one of about a dozen seniors in the King’s Fork Farm neighborhood that enjoyed a parade through the community in their honor on Saturday. Many of the cars in the processional had gifts to hand out to all of the graduates. (Troy Cooper photo)
Daniel Miller was a Deep Creek High School graduate who celebrated at his grandparents' house for the King's Fork Farm graduation parade.
Aaliyah Thompson graduated from King's Fork High School and participated in the King's Fork Farm graduation parade.
Hayden Waters is a Nansemond-Suffolk Academy graduate who participated in the King's Fork Farm graduation parade.
Davion Stinson graduated from King's Fork High School and participated in the King's Fork Farm graduation parade.
Quintin Walters graduated from Isle of Wight Academy and was among the participants in the King's Fork Farm graduation parade.
Corrinda Stateman graduated from King's Fork High School and participated in the King's Fork Farm graduation parade.
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A dozen or so graduates got to see a graduation parade honoring them from their own front yards on Saturday.
The residents of the King’s Fork Farm community, adjacent to King’s Fork High School, enjoyed the parade, which had been in the planning stages for more than a month. A caravan led by Suffolk Police officers wove through the neighborhood’s streets while waving at graduates who were decked out in their caps and gowns.
Sharon and Gil Pratt didn’t have a family member in the neighborhood graduating, but they drove in the parade anyway.
“I like the place that we live, and I think it’s cool that we do things, and it’s great to celebrate the kids and whatever their next step is,” said Sharon Pratt.
The occupants of the vehicles honked and waved to all of the graduates. Most were from King’s Fork High School, but there were at least two private school graduates, one Deep Creek High School graduate celebrating at his grandparents’ house, and a few college graduates, as well.
Some vehicles even had envelopes stuffed with cards, and small amounts of cash, for each and every graduate, whether they knew them personally or not.
“This is really nice,” said Aaliyah Thompson, who graduated from King’s Fork and plans to attend Howard University to become an orthodontist. “I think it’s amazing. It makes it a lot better to deal with, too.”
Davion Stinson, another King’s Fork graduate, said the parade was “really cool.”
“It gives us a chance to do something since we didn’t get a formal graduation,” he said.
Hayden Waters, a Nansemond-Suffolk Academy graduate, said it was a “good way to wrap it up.”
“I thought that was really cool,” he said. “It was really nice of the neighborhood to put that together.”
Isle of Wight Academy graduate Quintin Walters also enjoyed the parade.
“I think it was just a really nice thing,” he said. “It’s always good when the community comes and helps everyone. I’m very appreciative.”
