SCHOOLS

Three high schools, one very big reunion

Central District alumni groups to host two-state gathering

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Ron Steiger, Bellmore JFK Alumni Inc.’s public relations officer, said the group has received a number of unique requests since it formed and began hosting reunions three and a half years ago. Next month, organization officials say, they plan to honor them all.

Board members had heard from alumni who said they felt uncomfortable attending large events with former classmates alone. They also received calls from Kennedy High School graduates who now live in Florida, and who wish they could attend reunions on Long Island. And Calhoun and Mepham alumni reached out to the group, asking if they could come to Kennedy alumni gatherings to reconnect with friends with whom they may have attended elementary or middle school.

That’s why Kennedy alumni association members began working with the Calhoun and Mepham associations, graduates who now live in Florida and elsewhere, and restaurant owners, organizing the first multi-year, multi-school, multi-state reunion in the history of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. The event will take place on Aug. 3, at 7 p.m., at MaliBlue Oyster Bar in Lido Beach and the Pavilion Grille in Boca Raton, Fla.

“We decided that we were going all out,” Steiger said, adding that the reunion would raise money for scholarships at all three Central District high schools as well as the profiles of their respective alumni groups.

The reunion is open to all Kennedy, Calhoun and Mepham alumni who graduated before 1988, as well as former faculty and staff members at all three schools. Each attendee may bring a guest or come alone.

Organizers suggested that alumni register in advance here. Registered attendees will receive tags bearing their name, year of graduation and school logo. As of July 20, 275 people had registered for the event.

“To me, that’s amazing, because I would say that 90 percent of people don’t typically register for these reunions — they just show up,” Steiger said. “This is a really big deal, and people are really excited about this.”

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