What is a reunion?
A social gathering attended by members of a
certain group of people who have not seen each other
for some time.
So...let me tell you a story ~
August 4, 2023 was the beginning of our reunion. The Icebreaker was held at the Old West Museum. It was electric from the moment you walked in...seeing all those classmates once again was heartwarming, to say the least. Hugs were abundant that night, and the graditude was real. And for a moment, we were young again. Seeing the faces of the people we have known for over 55 years was intoxicating...flooding our hearts and minds with memories we shared long ago. Every person seemed to enjoy themselves and were genuinely happy! This is why the reunion committee has commited to having our reunions every 5 years since the 20th reunion. We want us all to stay connected with the people we have spent many years with. Some of us have known each other from grade school through our high school graduation and on through college graduations. After that, separations began and we scattered. Thus, the reunions!!
The rest of the evening was spent getting or giving updates on our lives and enjoying the hors d'oeuvres and libations. We also had a few "Class of 1970 crashers" at the Icebreaker which we always enjoy seeing as well. They are also part of our history and remain friends with us today.
August 5, 2023 was the night of our "Dinner with a Slice of Laughter". The reasoning behind that "title" was because we had a Comedian that was going to entertain us later on. (More about him later!) The atmosphere was, once again, electric! Conversations continued uninterrupted from the previous night plus we saw a few new faces that couldn't attend the Icebreaker. One of those faces was Steve Siegfried from East!! He had never attended a reunion before and had not even signed up for this one, so it was a joyful surprise when he walked in. We held a Silent Auction in honor of our veterans in the Class of 68 to raise money for the Wyoming Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans along with a 50/50 raffle ticket sale. The items for the auction were donated by members of the committee and/or friends of members of the committee. There were a couple Wyoming made products baskets, some wine baskets, a couple stained glass pieces and some wooden military plaques that were up for grabs. The auction and 50/50 raffle were a huge success. The winner of the 50/50 raffle was Linda Cropper Vestal (East), who generously donated her portion back into the pot for this fundraiser. All in all, we raised $1,250.00. Thank you Classmates for your support in our endeavor to raise money for this very special cause. After the wonderful meal prepared by the Red Lion staff, we watched the Military Tribute video, again to honor all the Veterans in attendance this evening. This video can be viewed on this website and is located on the menu to the left under "Our Veterans + Video". Next, Cherie Barkee Major (East) read a letter to all of us that she had written. It was very moving to say the least. You can view her letter by going to the menu again under "Cherie Barkee Letter".
Next, our entertainer for the evening was introduced. Meet Sam Adams, the Comedian, not the beer!!! He was a hit and the highlight of the evening. Sam researched info on our three schools and incorporated his findings into his show. He had us all laughing hysterically for an hour. Sam Adams lives in Parker, CO and has an impressive background as a sports writer-turned-standup comedian, keynote speaker, author, TV commercial actor and Master of Ceremonies. Look him up if you are ever in need of a fabulous, profanity-free comedian! You won't be disappointed!
Lastly, we watched the Memory Slideshow that took us down memory lane of the good ole days in Cheyenne and our high schools. Memories of kiddie land, Frontier Days, Carnegie Library, Shamrock, Sloans Lake Beach and the rope, Intermountain Speedway on South Greeley Hwy, KIMN, KOMA, and KRAE, Owl Inn and Little America just to name a few! It was fun to make and watch!
I also can't end this without mentioning that Mary Kay Heaton Lewis (Central) wore her cheerleader sweater that night. It was most impressive that she could still fit into it!!! However, I can still fit into my socks from the 60's!