Between them, they’ve graduated 11 kids from Mankato West High School, with two more donning caps and gowns this year and three more expected in the future.

In the process, Gina Henkelman, Marcy Koch, Pam Saigh and Nancy Dobson have learned a thing or two themselves — and about graduation parties and what it takes to make them successful.

One of their best tips is to take advantage of any help you can get — whether from those offering to bring bars or veggie trays to your open house or enlisting reliable friends to work in the kitchen.

These long-time friends have brought food and helping hands to nearly every graduation party each of them have had — even in 2003, a year when they had five graduates among them. They now know exactly what they’re doing, assigning each other two-hour shifts and cooking duties, knowing they’ll be returning the favor soon.

“You want to be able to greet the guests with your graduate,” Henkelman says. “It just takes all your stress away. You know they’ll fill all the dishes and take care of everything.”

Last June, Henkelman was able to enjoy a Mexican fiesta-themed party with about 200 guests celebrating her daughter Ellen’s graduation. Outside, she directed a piñata breaking and circulated with guests eating under a large tent in her North Mankato back yard.

Inside, friends and family moved smoothly through a dining room decorated with jalapeno lights and pictures of the graduate, while Koch, Saigh, Dobson and others took turns dishing up nacho plates piled high with taco meat, corn chips, beans, cheese sauce, salsa, sour cream, olives and jalapenos.

Veggies, fruit, bars and cream-cheese mints made in a variety of colors rounded out the menu. Many were provided by or with help from friends.

“I’ll take anything to their parties and enjoy doing so,” Koch says. “I’m totally into this ‘You scratch my back, I’ll scratch your back’ kind of thing. It’s not only helping, but it’s exchanging labor.”

JSpear 3/12/07 This could be broken out as a sidebar or left as is for layout purposes. if you break out you need to put first names back into it.

Tips for great graduation gatherings:

Keep it simple. Sandwiches, salads and desserts are plenty for an open house. Don’t overdo it and don’t think you have to feed guests their only meal of the day. Chances are, they’ll be going to other parties as well.

Dobson’s menu usually includes deli meat and cheese sandwiches, made with summer sausage and other meats and cheeses from Schmidt’s Meat Market in Nicollet. Schmidt’s also special orders white and wheat buns from a bakery in New Ulm.

Dobson also makes a simple pasta salad with rotini, pepperoni, olives, grape tomatoes, cheese and Italian dressing, as well as a fresh fruit salad. None of her five kids are fond of cake, so Special K bars, brownies and cream puffs from Sam’s Club satisfy those with a sweet tooth.