THE STORY

Since the Jena High School class of 2014, Misty Sharp Stringer and the high school senior class have teamed up in October for scary fun and fundraising. Operation Graduation - OpGrad, for short - is an all-night lock-in party for all graduates plus one. The goal is for the seniors to have one last, safe blast with all of their classmates at the school. Substantial prizes, cash, hilarious group and individual games, live dj, food, grad gifts, and more fill the night until the sun rises.

Misty is a local business owner - of Exotic Nails/Wild Stylz - who is very creative and artistic. Her dream is to secure a permanent location for the 'haunted house.' Each year - despite the fact that it began in the woods, and then moved to fairgrounds and various structures around town - the event has grown more elaborate and popular.

Misty teams up with the senior class, their parents, talented hair and make up artists, craftsmen, and other community members to build, style, and host a different theme each year. This year the project theme was 'Murder House.' The first two weekends of October were called 'Blood Fest,' and portrayed a dark house filled with crazies and nightmares.