Belmont High's All-Night Party: To Infinity ... And Beyond

When Alex Griffen entered the main hallway just outside the cafeteria just after the doors for Belmont High School's Annual All-Night Party opened at 9 p.m., the senior produced a big grin when he recognized this year's theme.

"This is pretty cool," he said. 

"I had to look around and then I was them," he said.

The "them" he was referring to was Woody and Buzz Lightyear.  

A Toy Story – the 1995 computer-animated family buddy comedy film produced by Pixar – was this year's theme, with all the favorite characters, according to Theresa Normile who this year led the more than 120 volunteers, most parents of high school juniors, to put on the yearly after-graduation event. 

Normile, who attended her "All Night Graduation Party" at Belmont High School with her now husband, Patrick, 28 years ago, said the popular movie trilogy was selected not simply because the movies were popular with the graduates as they were growing up – they were one or younger when the first film was released – but also because of the ending of the third film. 

"In Toy Story 3, Andy (the boy who owns all the toys) goes off to college just like most of them," said Normile of the seniors. 

Normile and her volunteers tranformed the lunchroom into a dance floor with a DJ and places to eat while the adjoining hallways had areas where the kids could have their photograph taken, play Twister or just hangout. The auditorium was made into a movie theater with popcorn at the ready for showing of each of the three movies. 

At the beginning of the night, more than 50 volunteers were ready for the first shift, preparing to serve food and to make sure the kids would have a fun time "because this will be the last time they'll be together as a group. It should be memorable," Normile said.