Graduation continued at Walt Whitman High School in Montgomery County despite the air quality outdoors.
The graduation ceremony was originally supposed to take place at 9 a.m. on Thursday, however, leaders made a call to postpone until the evening.
Despite the haze, hundreds still attended the outdoor graduation. For those who couldn't, Montgomery County Public Schools (MPCS) gave an alternative for those to watch inside.
Many attendees explained there was nothing they would miss the ceremony for. Not even the Code Purple and Red Air Quality Alerts that hit parts of the DMV.
“Not for the world,” said the Rozicer family from New Jersey.
As the crowd walked into the stadium, volunteers passed out face masks.
“I am just glad it is taking place because we traveled so far,” said Rozicer.
The Rozicer family braced the thick air before heading back north to New Jersey.
“No, you cannot cancel graduation,” said a volunteer.
Doctor Patricia Kapuana of MCPS said they had a close watch on the conditions since 4 a.m.
“One thing that we have learned from the pandemic is that people can make good health decisions; they know so much more. You just have to give opportunities including virtual participation,” said Kapuana.
Several family members were able to watch from an auditorium inside away from the smoke.
“What we learned from COVID is kids need graduation and they need to be able to celebrate and their families need to celebrate with them," said Kapuana. "We didn’t want a situation where their families are inside and we know how important joy is.”