The Reunion Project - The Main Event (6/29)
By Scott Ryan
Despite one successful night under our belts, there was still some anxiety about Saturday night. We still needed several people to show up at the door to break even. We'd fronted our own money on this party and didn't want to wind up in the red.
Also in the mix was word of a couple of additional classmates whom I hadn't known about. It was too late to start searching, so I figured I'd just make some notes for next time. We got to the venue around 2 p.m. and began setting up. We had a near disaster, as a big bunch of special balloons got away from us and floated to the ceiling, well out of reach.
After an embarrassingly unsuccessful attempt to retrieve them with another balloon and duct tape, we opted for a broom. We then realized we had to duct tape the duct tape to the broom handle. After reeling in the wayward balloons, we finished decorating and went home to get dressed.
The first food came out at 7 p.m., where a handful of people were already waiting. More food came out 45 minutes later, as people continued to file in. We ramped up the music around 8:30 p.m., right after our group photo, taken from the third floor of the room. It was neat to see so many faces!
One hundred thirty of us danced to some current songs and some from our high school days. People began filing out a little before midnight, with everyone very appreciative of our work. We wound up with just enough money to cover our expenses. We did it!
Some of us were already taking questions about plans for a 30-year reunion, but I don't think any of us is ready to look that far ahead just yet. We all left tired and relieved--and maybe just a bit sad--that it was all over.
*About this blog: Scott is a 1988 graduate of Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, Va. and is blogging about his experience planning his 25th high school reunion, which was June 28-29, 2013. You can contact Scott at 248-945-9950 or at sryan@cbs.com. Please put "The Reunion Project" in the subject line. Visit his class website here
