FREEPORT – Achieving a major milestone calls for a great celebration.

That’s why, for years now, graduating seniors at Freeport High School have been treated to a week of memorable activities that culminate in Project Graduation. They’ve enjoyed a day at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire – an event that included a lake cruise, a buffet dinner and a hotel stay – as well as an excursion to Sunday River.

Events such as these cost money, and plenty of it. The Project Graduation Committee at Freeport High needs to raise $30,000 for this year’s event, at a destination to be revealed – graduates find that out when they get there on a chartered bus – as well as Senior Week activities.

As always, Project Graduations are chemical-free occasions.

Jennifer Libsack, chairwoman of this year’s Project Graduation Committee, emphasizes that the celebration is for all Freeport High graduates. No families are asked to pony up money.

“Some Project Graduations are easier to plan,” Libsack said. “Freeport doesn’t require a check from students. It’s for everybody. It morphed into, ‘Maybe we can raise the funds for everything that they do.’”

The cost for Project Graduation comes out to about $115 per student for the 140 seniors, Libsack said.

“It seems like so much, but when you calculate it per person, it’s a pretty good deal,” she said.

Lisback said that the committee is getting fairly close to its goal. Much will depend on the attendance for the show by popular Maine comedian Bob Marley, scheduled for April 6 at the Freeport Performing Arts Center, she said.

Marley is charging a minimum of $3,500 or half the gate, whichever amount is greater. The Performing Arts Center seats 500, and the ticket price is $20.

“If that’s successful, we’ll be golden,” Libsack said.

Lisback, whose son Travis is a senior, pointed out there is a difference between the fundraising for Project Graduation and for Senior Week events, which students begin working on in their freshman year. Senior Week includes a June 10 senior barbecue, a June 11 day trip and a June 12 candlelight dinner at Bowdoin College. Graduation itself is June 14 at Merrill Auditorium in Portland.

Lisback said that Project Graduation began in Maine, and has spread across the country.

“It’s a nationwide attempt to keep new graduates safe on graduation night,” she said. “Kids come early in the evening. They walk off the stage, come home and change and then we take them away for the night. We drop them back off at school at 6 the next morning. Usually it’s a set of three separate activities that they do. If you just throw them in a gym and lock them in, you’ll find they won’t come the next year.”

Libsack said that when students begin raising money for Senior Week activities their freshman year, anything more than what they’ll need for those events goes to the Project Graduation till. As juniors, they raise money for prom.

“The hope is that they make a profit and then boost that fund a little bit,” she said. “That’s like your seed money for Project Graduation.”

Lisback said that major fundraisers for this year’s Project Graduation, in addition to the Marley show, included an online auction in November that brought in more than $5,000. Businesses donated more than $1,250 and families also have chipped in, she said.

“It’s been fun, but it’s been a lot of work,” said Libsack, who has devoted more than 20 hours a week some weeks.

Cindy Drake, mother of senior Spencer Drake, also is on the committee. Drake is in charge of the Marley show.

Drake said that Libsack contacted Marley’s people last year, and got Freeport High on his April calendar.

“The challenge for us was to get a date when we could get the Freeport Performing Arts Center,” she said. “The goal is to sell all 500 seats. We’re a little over halfway now. If it sells out, we’d gross $10,000 and he would get half. We’d put that toward our Senior Week activities and Project Graduation. All of this costs money, so we spend a fair amount of time on Project Graduation projects.”

Drake said the participation rate for Project Graduation at Freeport High is good.

“Very few kids don’t go to this,” she said.