Saturday Evening


Saturday evening at Branches: By 6:30 PM the main event was already underway with classmates arriving from all points. Laughter and voices reflecting greetings were heard everywhere. The cheerleaders from our class were practicing in one of the back rooms of the venue for a surprise and several members of the reunion committee (and their helpers) were assembling iridescent bracelets which would be used for a dance later in the evening, time permitting. The cocktail hour began with delicious selections and conversations and re-uniting anecdotes were everywhere evident. The DJ and the music committee selected just the right choices for the evening and as everyone took their seats, the atmosphere was one of friendship, humor, and sharing. Vic Petriella , as the master of ceremonies, began the evening on a solemn but hopeful note, remembering our classmates who had passed on. A moment of silence was dedicated to their memories and Vic gave a fitting tribute to our departed classmates. He then introduced the reunion committee, all of whom had worked tirelessly over a two year period to make this reunion very special. Various subcommittee members were thanked in the directory – to making calls, selecting the menu, making nametags, stuffing souvenir bags, etc. The buffet dinner was served. For entertainment, the cheerleaders took to the stage and brought us back to our high school days with “old time cheers.” Dancing was the order of the day and some of our classmates really were unbelievably talented and were the stars for the evening. Vic announced the drawing for the raffle to benefit the scholarship fund and a classmate won a stand-alone 3 foot high lighthouse, representing the theme of our reunion, “Down the Shore.” The evening ended far too soon and everyone looked forward to the brunch on Sunday.

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