Even as the usual avian residents of Maplewood and South Orange return from warmer climes, it remains a rarity to find a flock of flamingos in front of your neighbor's home. But, this season, many local residents are waking up to find themselves “flocked,” when, under cover of darkness, volunteers place a group of bright pink plastic flamingos on their lawns.  Fortunately, a sign reading “Midnight Madness” helps explain the phenomenon.

According to co-chairs Carrie Steinbauer and Shelley Weinstock, the annual Midnight Madness/Project Graduation is a drug- and alcohol-free graduation party for the Columbia High School senior class that runs from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. 

“Traditionally, every year, right after graduation, the senior class boards buses for a surprise location for one last celebration before they all go their separate ways,” said Steinbauer. The location is a surprise, not revealed to the seniors until they are en route.
 
As the event is sponsored entirely by parent contributions and fundraising, the Midnight Madness committee generates revenue creatively. Saturday’s first-ever Zumbathon was a fundraiser, as are sales of Maplewoodopoly, South Orangeopoly, Monopoly-inspired board games, and merchandise bearing local zip codes. “You’ve been flocked” is probably the most visible of the initiatives. 

For $20, residents can have a flock of flamingos placed on a friend or neighbor’s lawn for two days. And for $20, the flamingo “team” of movers will remove the birds; “flock insurance” is available for an additional $5.

This year’s Midnight Madness committee has a number of “flocks” available, and it’s a simple matter to arrange for flamingos to land on a local yard. According to Steinbauer, flocking “is a fun way to decorate our lawns as well as raise much-needed funds for Midnight Madness.” And even as spring comes reluctantly to South Orange, the flamingos are a welcome reminder to seniors that June and graduation are just weeks away.

To order a flock, contact Cathy Garbor at 973-763-1307.
To purchase a board game, visit Scrivener's, Maplewood Stationers, No. 165 in Maplewood, or Sparkhouse Kids and Kitchen a la Mode in South Orange. To order a game by mail, call Eileen Mahoney at 973-762-4193.
Merchandise is also available at Village Belle.
For general Midnight Madness information, contact Carrie Steinbauer at 973-763-3670 and/or Shelley Weinstock at 973-275-0209.