I had a few requests to post the speech from the reunion. Give it a read in case you missed or had a hard time hearing it. Hope you enjoy!
Welcome home West Geauga Class of 1990!
Thank you to the committee your help is not over looked
Gina Zangara Ridgway – Leader of the Pack, Food/Beverage Coordinator, Shirt Sales, Person Locator
Kerri Ratner Whitehouse – Got the ball rolling (then passed it to Gina!), Ghost Writer, Decorations/Centerpieces, Person Locator
Cheryl Raymond Whittington - Chief Person Locator, Mailing List Maven, Photographer
Stephanie Fello Gruber- Family Day Coordinator, Person Locator
Debbie Fade Buber – Money Collector, Reunion Account Manager, Chesterland News Articles
Brady Krebs - 50/50 Raffle, Financial Matters
Matt Davis - Cake Connection, Food/Beverage Assistance, Trivia Game (stayed involved, even though he left for better opportunities)
Heather Union Corcoran -- Food/Beverage Assistance, Person Locator
Wendy Weiss Asher -- Financial Matters, Person Locator
Pam Sika -- Table Centerpieces
Tom Bordonaro -- Reunion Website, Invitation Design, Nametags, Music
The reason we have all come together tonight, is because of these seven individuals who could not be hear by their own choice. They have brought us together over the years and have made us closer!
Let us not forget;
Deana Pilch
Kevin Kelly
Chris Vig
Dale Terry
Rick Whitcomb
Keri Trankita
And Kevin Modizewski
Let us never for get them and whether they know it or are looking down on us now, are a huge part of why a lot of us have and always will remain close
What is it about school reunions that make some people get so excited that they jump a car or on a plane and fly across the country to be here but at the same time there are people who live within walking distance who wouldn’t come if you paid them.
For some of us it is a look to the past and regression into all the feelings of teenage angst and insecurity. For others, it a look to the future and a realization that the light at the end of the tunnel is actually the oncoming train of MID LIFE CRISIS bearing down upon them. If you have any of those feelings tonight, don’t worry, you are not alone.
However, something that struck us through this process, particularly as people shared reasons for NOT coming, was how difficult a night like this can be for them and if we are to be honest, that High School was not often an easy or pleasant experience for some. Perhaps tonight may offer opportunities for confession and acknowledgment that people CAN and sometimes DO change. We were also trying to figure out how to catch the nostalgia of those 4 years. We traded stories, laughed and cried and sometimes disagreed, but one thing always seemed to remain consistent, we had fun, got along and became closer. We realized this is what this weekend has to be about. Living life, laughing often and loving one another, regardless of WHO we are where we have been, what we do for a living doesn’t matter, being here TOGETHER and having fun matters.
This makes tonight valuable, perhaps in ways we haven’t realized. Don’t take it for granted. There will be lots of laughs, but I encourage you to also value what it is we share and the possibilities of this occasion.
Toast
Some of us have traveled the world on a spiritual search to find yourself or God. Others haven’t left the couch and would be very happy just find the damn remote! Some of us are thinning on top or widening down low, some of us were ugly and turned out HOT! Some us have gone bald some of us have gotten thin and maybe some of just don’t give a damn what the hell we look like, whether you’ve come to punch someone in the nose or pinch someone on the ass; or to have a crack at the one that got away…. or to get away from the one that didn’t…just remember,
LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE!
Welcome Home West Geauga Class of 1990! CHEERS, SALUTE!
