By Susan R. Wenner
Herald Publisher/Editor
As U.S. citizens recognize America 250 Semiquincentennial, the Seminole High School Bicentennial Class of 1976 recently gathered for their own celebration.
Reunion Committee Secretary Sheila Johnson Sanders added, “We are the group known as ‘The Boomers’ and we’ve seen a lot in the last 50 years. When we attended our 10th reunion, you paid for your ticket by check. This year you could pay with a new digital banking system called Zelle. Cell phones make everything easier. Gone are the pay phones from the ‘70’s.”
From reminiscing days gone by to create new memories, over 130 were in attendance for the Friday night festivities and approximately 175 for the Saturday event at the Westin in Lake Mary.
According to Sanders, Teresa Jackson Kumm did a great job of decorating; Ivory Davis and Teresa provided great keepsake gifts for Saturday night. John Spolski set up a slide show and several posters of the group photo from prior reunions. Meg Newman worked on name tags and searching for a venue. Vickie Shelley Todd was our coordinator with the Westin Hotel. Tina Porzig Hardy and Althea Delancy-Wright assisted with various projects. Cindy Serraes Cunningham was treasurer, keeping up with all the numbers. Antoinette (Vern) Boykin supplied several songs for the DJ’s playlist. Debra Sweet Bailey assisted all the way from Niagara Springs, New York. Sheila McIntyre Waters and Antoinette, helped with the graphic design for the flyers. Gena Bukur hired the DJ, who provided great dance music and a photo booth. Sanders was in charge of mailing out the Save the Date and the reunion info plus reservation forms. Mia Bain, created a web site (www.SHS76.com) just for the class. Photos will be uploaded as they become available.
Class President, Mike Good, opened his restaurant 4th Street Grill in Lake Mary for catching up with classmates. The establishment was closed to patrons for a few hours while Good graciously supplied attendees with 2 free drinks and a room full of appetizers from chicken wings, chicken nuggets, wraps, vegetables, a delicious cake and much more.
Former principal, Don Reynolds also visited the Friday night party to catch up and provide well wishes to the group.
Sanders also added, “Mike is a very generous man, and our reunions would not be as special as they are without his support.”
Many old friends gathered for breakfast the next morning, lunch and tours of their old stomping grounds at the high school as well as short trips around Sanford.
Saturday night festivities were held at the Westin in Lake Mary where many attendees also stayed for the weekend.
“The beautiful Westin hotel where we met in Lake Mary that is now considered ‘Orlando North’ was merely dirt roads and orange groves when we graduated from high school,” said Sanders.
The Westin prepared steak and chicken with “all the fixings” along with another delectable cake. The D.J. played many songs from the 70’s and kept the crowd dancing. A photo booth with silly props entertained the crowd with quick printed pictures to take home.
Althea Delancy-Wright said, “I had an absolute blast at our 50th reunion! Bicentennial Class of SHS! It was wonderful to see everyone and to know we are doing as well as we are! The conversations were simply great & precious. Reconnecting with classmates, friends...just beautiful. I love how we keep it together. The food was delicious! Our class president, Mike Good & his wife Bonnie, thanking them for all that they do! Our class committee is outstanding! They did an amazing job! I was proud to be on the committee. It was a blessed and grand time! Can't wait until we do it again! Simply the best!”
Meg Newman added, “Mike is a great leader. He empowered our committee to make it happen. Sheila is our glue. She keeps all of our classmates together as one. I think it was our best reunion ever.”
John Spoloski also shared, “Our class was unique in the fact that integration of schools had just occurred, and with that, Crooms High School, which had traditionally been a predominantly Black school, shifted those students from 10th through 12 grades to Seminole High School. Crooms then became an integrated school for 9th graders only. By the time we all reached Seminole High and began our sophomore year, there were no racial barriers evident amongst our classmates. The response that was observed by the large turnout, 50 years after our graduation, is and always will be a testament to that. Mike Good does not like to be recognized for his generosity, but as he has told me... ‘I have been very blessed and never want to take that for granted and when I have the chance to help others, I will share my blessings’.”
Several were still “rolling up the carpet” when the Saturday evening celebration ended at 10:30 p.m. but conversations kept going in the lobby. Many met for church services together the next day.
“It was a great turn out and a great time and a lot of the credit goes to our Class President Mike Good and the team that makes up the reunion committee,” said Sanders. “To sum it up, all the committee members were enthusiastic throughout the planning process, each person utilizing their own unique gifts and talents. Our motto has always been the ‘Spirit of 76’ and it was truly a ‘labor of love’ for all involved.”
