ROYAL CITY — At 8:20 p.m. on Friday night, the Royal School District honored its high school senior class by lighting up the football field at Royal High School.

Community members in Royal City were encouraged to leave their lights on, whether in their vehicles or at home, in support of the seniors, while some locals drove by the field, slowing down to honk in support.

The lights at the high school will be lit up at the same time, 20:20 in military time, every Friday until June 5 to support the Royal High School seniors.

A pair of seniors, Stefany Rodriguez and Florentino Popoca, were given the honor of flipping on the lights for the inaugural event on Friday night.

Royal High School Principal Rick Follett said the idea was something he and Royal School District Superintendent Roger Trail had been working on.

“It’s the kind of thing where you want people to come support it, but we can’t have a crowd,” he said in an interview Monday.

Follett said that’s how they landed on having two students who’ve been very involved in their four years with the school have the honor of flipping the switch. He said he hoped that by making the first event a celebration, it would help people remember it every week.

With cars pulling into the parking lot, leaving their lights on the field, to cars slowing down to honk wildly, Follett said the support the school has received was good.

Typically, Follett said he gets to tell people he’s going to school every day. Without students or teachers present, the he said now it just feels like going to a building.

“We’re making the best of it,” Follett said. “We have our continuous learning plan ready to roll out next Monday. We keep getting more Chromebooks and hot spots out to kids to better serve them.” And for students who have difficulty getting online, the district will always have hard copies available.

Follett said they’re doing their best to follow the “do no harm” approach to getting their seniors prepared for graduation but added that it’s a work in progress.

“We just got guides from OSPI and the state board last week,” Follett said. “Right now, I have a team going through and contacting each senior and letting them know. Most of them were on track to graduate, which is really helpful, there were just a few odds and ends things they need to tie up.”

Follett said he’ll continue to work to assist his seniors as they finish up their final months. The Royal community will have another chance to honor the 2020 class on Friday when the lights go back on at 8:20 p.m.