03/01/2021
Ladies, I posted this notification to the private Facebook group "Utica Catholic Academy Alumni Group" last week, but am posting it here on the public page as well for those of you who may NOT yet be a member of this private group. If you are not yet a member, please search for this group, ask to join and answer the required questions, and I will approve you for membership!
I started this missive on November 29th, and just haven't had the heart to finish it. BUT, here we are 30 days later on the cusp of a New Year, with vaccines being distributed across the country to essential and medical personnel, first responders, nursing homes and soon to be general public. Still, the feelings of this 50th Reunion Committee remain the same, and I MUST send this out - so, here goes.
Recently, questions were raised about the feasibility of our planned Memorial Day Weekend, 2021 (50+1) UCA Class of 1970 Reunion. These questions were indeed some of the same questions your Event Committee members Annette Guido, Gloria Passante LaPoint and Joanne Jojo Gerace have been asking themselves for many months now. Can we really pull this off?? What about the COVID numbers?? What about the vaccines?? What about state mandates?? What about travel restrictions?? What about our out-of-state class members?? What about the restrictions on group gatherings?? Will they feel comfortable attending?? We've committed to a Contract!! We've got so much planned!! WHERE WILL ALL OF THIS STAND IN MAY, 2021????? It's only 6 months from now!! What will the rules be in May????!!! WHO KNOWS??!!
Dear friends, when we began this journey of event planning nearly a year ago, I don't think any one of us could have imagined what this world would look like mid-COVID, which is the point where we are now and have been for quite a while. Our little Reunion event, although not so "little" to us, is but a blip on the radar in comparison to the worldwide picture. We have all been faced with holidays and special occasions without family, events postponed, sickness and hospitalization and even loss of loved ones, and we have learned to navigate the world of ZOOM and Facetime just to be able to see the faces of those we've missed for so long, just to FEEL THE LOVE and send hugs over the miles. We are in unchartered territory where NOTHING is guaranteed, probably for another year or so.
it is for that reason that we are cancelling our in-person 50th Reunion plans for Memorial Day Weekend, 2021. This decision has been heart-wrenching for the three of us, as we have dedicated so much of our time and effort this past year in anticipation of this event. The good news is, we have been able to recoup our deposit from The Delta by Marriott for our planned Saturday night event. God Bless Travis Rabbers at The Delta, he's been so good and patient and considerate in working with us, and the doors at The Delta remain open to us for any future event we may decide to hold - be it 50+2 or 3 or 4 or whenever. And Jojo at Tiny's, well, we all pray that she and all the other small business owners and restaurateurs can hold on until this insanity is over, and that she'll be there for our class (again!) when we DO decide to get together.
The OTHER great news is, this Committee will STILL be offering BY MAIL the really cool Memorabilia Bag that we originally planned as the handout at the live events - sans the yummy perishable treats we had planned, unfortunately! The Memorabilia Bag will include the DVD slideshow presentation with an "In Memoriam" section, the updated class directory printout, updates on what our classmates have been up to over the last 50 years (THIS IS WHY ANNETTE NEEDS YOUR LITTLE 1/2 SHEET WRITEUPS ASAP!!), and any number of little "surprises" and fun stuff that we had planned all along.
Your Committee members have incurred expenses this past year in preplanning for the bag items and activities that we expected to recoup with the event registration fees, which of course are now not forthcoming. Therefore, we will be offering the Memorabilia Bag at a price soon to be determined, plus shipping, to b mailed to your HOME, and enjoyed by YOU!. Be watching for the Memorabilia preorder form in your snail mail, maybe toward the end of January or beginning of February - we will have to coordinate this mass mailing with Notre Dame, who is going to help us out with the postage.
As for me, I've thought of another possible way for classmates to connect to each other next year. The idea of mini "regional" in-person get-togethers came to me as I lay awake one night at 2 AM, waiting for the alarm to go off at 4:30. The heck with Governor Cuomo and his interstate travel limitations, which we have no idea when they will be lifted. What if our classmates in NY held their own little "reunion" and shared pics and memories here in our FB group and page? What if the southern states (FL, TX, the Carolinas, etc.) did the same? What if those further west tried to do the same? I know it would take a coordinator in each "area", but it's just a thought - even if it's a ZOOM reunion amongst a small group - to get us through until we can have an actual full class reunion. I for one am NOT a ZOOM person, much less a coordinator of a ZOOM meeting, but y'all get my drift. Do what you can to stay in touch, and we'll do what we can to grow this group! Post your ideas here!!
In the meantime, stay safe, love your families, and raise a glass to welcome 2021 - a year we've never been more glad to see!!
As Always,
Gloria Passante LaPoint
