Sarah Courtney gives a personalized basket to a Lucerne Valley High School senior.
The Lucerne Valley community came together on Tuesday, May 14th to give Lucerne Valley High School’s graduating seniors a special send off in the form of personalized baskets. In all, 59 seniors were given baskets prepared by an equal number of generous donors.
The Senior Luncheon in the Sgt. Brian Walker Memorial Gymnasium started with Principal Jason Story greeting guests before sending them table after table to a cheeseburger lunch buffet prepared and served by the school’s culinary arts students.
“This is one of the special events of the year,” Mr. Story said.
After lunch, Mr. Story turned the attention to Scott Hert, president of the Lucerne Valley-based S.S. Hert Trucking whose inspirational address and generous gift bag to each senior have become a Senior Basket luncheon tradition. “I hope you understand how supportive the company has been,” Mr. Story said. Hert gave his talk and then presented each of the seniors with a special gift bag that contained several gifts including a crisp $100 bill.
Scott and Susan Hert were in the thick of things when they gave each senior a gift back containing goodies and one $100 bill.
The Senior Basket idea came about as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, which severely hampered the final months of the Class of 2020’s senior year. That year, the organizers and crew of community volunteers, including school site administrators and Superintendent Peter Livingston, personally delivered the baskets. The community not only has continued to embrace the gift basket idea, but the program has grown with this year’s larger number of graduates.
Founder/organizer Jessica Risler, a member of the school district’s Board of Trustees, says each donor was given a biography of their student to help them create a personalized basket with gifts pertaining to that student’s particular interests.
Founder/organizer Jessica Risler, a member of the school district’s Board of Trustees, says each donor was given a biography of their student to help them create a personalized basket with gifts pertaining to that student’s particular interests.
Jessica Risler (shown presenting a scholarship to senior Evan Herriman) was one of the founders of the Senior Basket event.
After receiving the baskets the seniors hand wrote thank you notes to the donors.
Senior Basket donors are Yulissa Guerrero, Olga Fisher, the Lunch Ladies, Sarah Courtney, Madison Diamond, Gary Cope, Michelle Boren, Larry Kennedy, the L.V. Museum, Gaby Guerro, Sadie & Britta Davis, Marina Chicca-Flores, USA Septic, Nicole McGill, Tom Courtney, Mrs. Fuller, Leah Paddack, Vici Miller, Cindy Lazenby, Theda Coltrane, Cindy Lattin-Oliveira and the Lunch Ladies, Jackie Lopez and Aubrey Tibbs, Scot Gaspar, L.V. Museum, Women of the Moose, L.V. Chamber of Commerce, Jennifer Hankins, Joei Miller, Laura Rowland, Kevin Barda, Kim Evans, Suzie Manley, J. Navarro, Ashlee Ackerman, Heather Morales, Mr. Haecker, Mariah Cox, Denise Quesenberry, Mike Kalinowski, Theresa and Roland Reyes, Heather and Robert Otwell, Keri Gaspar, Angie Miller, Abigail Jimenez, Caitlyn Rodriguez, Ena Giles, Jessica Risler, Whittney Hansen, Adriana Barajas, Leigh Hannon and Lori Herriman.
Note: Some donors prepared baskets for more than one student.
