A candlelit evening at the Poinsettia Pavilion attracted students from not only Foothill but also Villanova Preparatory School, Ventura High School, and Buena High School this past Friday.

The romantic environment set the stage for an event that the senior class’ Relay for Life team, FTHS Seniors 2013, had never tried in the past: speed dating.

The team has put on multiple events this year trying to raise money for Relay for Life, a fundraiser to raise money for cancer research, including a bake sale and yard sale which senior Marnie Vaughn felt was very successful.

“We made a couple hundred bucks which is a lot when you’re selling things for a quarter at a yard sale,” she said.

Young ladies and gentlemen dressed in semi-formal attire mingled for the first half-hour before senior Andre Sehati introduced the event.

Guests sat on opposite sides of long tables having discussions that lasted two or three minutes based on questions like “what color best describes your personality?”

After the first round was completed, refreshments were offered in the back while the hosts played the music of Frank Sinatra and Marvin Gaye to “get the vibes goin’” as senior Stephen Mariani said. Mariani was in charge of making the playlist and serving refreshments along with the rest of the relay team.

Also located at the back of the room were “Cupid Letters” that were sold for 50 cents. These notes could be anonymous or contain the student’s information and were to be given to the person who caught their eye.

In the second portion of speed dating, participants were asked to be seated in every other chair in order to distance pairs during their conversations.

The senior boys hosting the evening were dressed in matching all-black outfits and a deep purple bowtie, while the hosting ladies and chaperones wore purple ribbons representative of Relay for Life.

One of the team members, senior Chris Hanna, thought this was a fun way to raise money.

“Is there any better way to fight cancer than speed dating?” he said.

There were many parent volunteers to chaperone the evening. Among these chaperones was David Harris, who believed students had fun.

“Those in attendance had a wonderful time,” he said.

Credit: Lauren Pedersen/The Foothill Dragon Press