After great turnout last year, Joanne Dean, mother of JHS senior Kyle Dean, decided to organize another parade to honor the class of 2021.

“I did it last year for the class of 2020, because everything stopped very quickly for them,” Dean said. “It was a huge success and a ton of fun, so we wanted to do it again for this year’s graduating seniors. I hope to see it as an annual event.”

The parade started in Brooklyn Square and continued to Main Street, Second Street and ended at Foote Avenue. Seniors stood in front of the high school while decorated cars passed by recognizing their achievement.

Because the class of 2021 lost many opportunities due to the pandemic, Dean figured a special event like this honoring them was fitting.

Many parade participants decorated their vehicles in red and green to show their support for this year’s Jamestown High School graduating class. From vans to motorcycles to sports cars, a number of community members recognized the class of 2021.

“(The seniors) have really missed out on a lot of things,” Dean said. “It’s just been a really rough year and a half for them. It’s not what (they) pictured everything to be like.”

Dean said it was especially difficult for the senior athletes who had their final year of high school athletics altered because of the pandemic.

Graduating in general is an achievement itself, but graduating while dealing with a pandemic is an even bigger one.

“It’s a huge milestone for them regardless,” Dean said. “I think it’s an even bigger accomplishment to be able to graduate and to have survived the pandemic learning and the challenges they were faced with.”

Dean and all parents of seniors are proud of what their children have accomplished this year.

“Everybody in the community is really proud of them,” Dean said. “The future is bright, and we’re excited to follow them where ever their life takes them.”

The official JHS graduation ceremony will take place Friday in the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater at 7 p.m.

The Southwestern Central School District is also hosting a vehicle parade for their seniors Thursday at 6 p.m. The senior procession starts at the Southwestern campus and proceeds throughout the district before finishing back at the school.