MIDNIGHT MADNESS | THANK YOU!
6/18/2026 5:19 pm
Oh, what a night! If you haven’t heard by now, Midnight Madness 2026 went to Iron Peak in Hillsborough, NJ — it was the most amazing night, with the most amazing kids, with the most amazing team working all year to make sure every single graduating senior who wanted to participate was there!
Kelly Mortimer, our HSA Comms partner who worked tirelessly to promote, recruit and spread MM26 joy. Ava Martin, our designer who gave us our 2026 brand identity, fulfilled every wacky request, and spent all day yesterday setting up the venue so we could enjoy our graduating seniors. Andrea Beck and Michelle Tarry, our Mother Flocker chairs who brought the pink and managed 11 teams of 40 people to flock over 300 seniors. Krista Ruane and Erin O’Connor, our lawn sign chairs who oversaw the creation and distribution of 475 signs.
Our merch team — Anna Rulnick, Amy Donahue, and Meredith Katz — designed and distributed countless pieces of CHS spirit wear to not only keep us looking good, but raising money. And speaking of fundraising, Sabena Khan joined us this spring, brought in several new sponsors, and has planted the seed for next year’s fundraising efforts. Magnus Wilson-Webb, our treasurer who became an expert at managing an awful payment platform, always stepped up, and has volunteered to do this again next year! We had three all-stars who came out of retirement (two with no more children at CHS!) to help us manage last night: Matt and Jen Glass who oversaw the check-in process and loading of the buses (a critical part of the night, which may sound easy but is pure chaos, and they were flawless!) and Ambra Teague, who managed walk-in registrations at the check-in help desk! Katie Rickard and Catherine Bernard managed our dozens of check-in volunteers, who guided our kids through getting signed in and on their way with smiles and cheer, through complete mayhem.
South Orange PD and Maplewood PD kicked off the night with the best bus parade around. It is unfiltered joy and our community showed up to celebrate our children, and launch them into their next chapter! Jess Murphy led our extraordinary overnight chaperones. These men and women stayed up all night to make sure your kids were safe, happy, and able to make lasting memories of their graduation night.
We are so, so lucky to have a community that is this invested, this hard-working, and this committed to our kids. They say it takes a village, and we know it actually takes two. South Orange and Maplewood, you are the best! Thanks to Sheena Collum for getting the word out and promoting the bus parade and Midnight Madness. And to our local business sponsors who helped us raise money to send every senior on the trip.
We hope the community continues to make this an even bigger event in the future.
MM26 by the numbers:
407 graduates (85% of the class)
23 overnight chaperones
11 security guards
11 buses
40 check-in volunteers
Finally: why no phones, you might still wonder? The answer is simple: our kids were present. They sang their hearts out on the buses to Iron Peak. They played so hard, and when they weren’t playing, they were talking to each other. They connected with each other all night long.
We are exhausted, but our hearts are so full. Congratulations Class of 2026, and thank you for the memories!
~ Adena, Jamie, and Leslie
For more pics, check out CHS_MM on Instagram.
