Monday, December 23, 2013

Don't Forget Cash! Fundraising

Hi All!

Just another friendly reminder -

Please make sure to bring a little cash to the 10 year high school reunion as we will be having a 50/50 Raffle and a Chinese Auction.  Likewise, we will be having a raffle for a pair of Jason Aldean & Florida-Georgia Line Concert tickets.   Raffle tickets will be sold for all these throughout the night - but we can only accept cash.

All proceeds from the 50/50 raffle, Chinese auction, and concert ticket raffle will go towards future reunions.  We have a goal of raising $500.00 for future events.  This would help us either cut costs, provide better entertainment (think - DJ!), and pay for other reunion expenses.  We currently have 65 people attending the reunion, and we would easily be able to meet and exceed this goal if everyone at the reunion bought at least $10.00 worth of tickets!  

So, please consider helping us out with these fundraisers, and get a chance to win one of the very many amazing gift basket, the 50/50 raffle CASH, or the awesome concert tickets!  You can't win if you don't buy tickets - so make sure to remember some cash, and see you in a week!




10 Year Reunion - Party Info




Hello Everyone!Now, we are only ONE WEEK AWAY from the 10 Year High School Reunion!  Can't believe after the last three months of pulling classmates together, planning, and working hard, we are this close.  Get excited!
We were able to establish the food menu.  Please see it below.  Note, the beer choices will be Yuengling and Miller Lite.  Come ready to eat unlimited appetizers, three entree endless buffet, and enjoy a fully stocked open bar for 4 hours!  








Also, we wanted to address a few other frequently asked questions.



LOCATION

http://www.ligoniercountryinn.com

The reunion will be held at The Carriage House at the Ligonier Country Inn.

1376 US Route 30
Laughlintown, PA 15655
(724) 238-3651






TIME

Reunion attendees can check in starting at 6:00pm, where you will receive your drink wristbands

Appetizers will be served shortly after 6:00pm up until dinnertime, which will be served at 7:30pm



ATTIRE

There is no specific required attire.  We are telling people business casual to semi-formal.  basically, this just means no gym attire, really.  We are suggesting men wear a shirt and tie or a polo shirt, dress pants or khakis, and ladies wear dress pants, skirts, or a dress.  It is not SUPER formal in any way, but trying to be a little more classy and fancy than just your usual night out.  However, we don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable, so please don't feel forced to dress up.  We want everyone to enjoy themselves.  



BRING CASH! - 50/50 RAFFLE & CHINESE AUCTION

Do not forget to bring at least a little cash with you!  Your drinks & food are all paid for, but we will be selling 50/50 raffle tickets and raffle tickets to use for the Chinese Auction.  We hope to have about 15-20 gift baskets donated from classmates available for the auction as well as Jason Aldean & Florida-Georgia Line tickets up for a raffle!  We will only be able to accept cash payments for these tickets, and all funds raised will go into the Class of 2003 bank account used for future class reunions to allow for lower ticket prices and better entertainment, etc.  Please consider bringing some money with you to partake in the fun!



If you have anymore questions or concerns, please contact us at the class email account - latrobewildcats2003@gmail.com  - Thank you and see you in a week!








Friday, December 20, 2013

Poll - Vote for Reunion Superlatives

We received submissions from about 20 classmates with nominations for the various reunion categories.  Originally, it was going to be limited to Top 5 for each category.  However, many categories received many different nominations, making it two-three votes, instead of clear majority, so we just included all those with a certain number of votes or more.  

Thank you for those who sent in reunion superlative nominations.  Please make sure to go through the poll and click one person for each category and submit the survey once you've completed it.  You can vote until December 25 - Christmas!

This is all in good fun and hope everyone participates - you do NOT need to attend the reunion to vote and you do NOT need to attend the reunion to win.  However, you won't be there to claim all the glory and get your picture taken if you are not there ... 

.... which brings us to that time again where we like to remind everyone - TODAY - Friday, December 20, is the the LAST DAY to purchase reunion tickets!  PLEASE don't make us beg :)  We have to call the venue and give them a headcount by 6pm, and we are only giving them a headcount based on those who have PAID for the tickets.  There is just NO EXCEPTIONS - as there are just NO extra funds to pay for dinners that may or may not be used. Thank you for understanding!  Now, Get your tickets, and fill our the final superlatives survey!

Just one week away ... we are at about 50 tickets purchased as of today!

Thank you everyone, and look forward to seeing you there!





Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Preparing for the Reunion - Checklist

Just to help everyone get in the reunion spirit and prepare for the fun filled evening ... we are compiling a little check list to make sure you've got all the reunion news updates in one quick place


1.) PURCHASE REUNION TICKETS

Have you bought your ticket yet?


  • Tickets need to be purchased in advance and will NOT be sold at the door.  This is the LAST week to get tickets, so don't forget.
  • Follow this link to get your reunion tickets now!
          CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS


2.) CONSIDER DONATING A GIFT BASKET

Have you offered to donate a gift basket to the Chinese Auction?


  • In order to raise money for future reunions and lower future ticket prices, have better entertainment, etc, we are getting donations for a Chinese Auction.  Tickets will be sold at the reunion door and classmates can place a raffle ticket in jars for baskets they'd like to win.  All funds will go towards future reunions
  • If you can donate a gift basket, please email us at latrobewildcats2003@gmail.com - you can either drop it off at the reunion or it can be dropped off at the Latrobe Skating Center at business hours or arranged to be picked up at a location convenient for you.

3.) CONSIDER DONATING COOKIES
Have you offered to bake any cookies for the cookie table?

  • In true western PA fashion, no major event would be complete without a cookie table.  In order to give all classmates a delicious and traditional after dinner treat, we depend on classmate donations in order to make our cookie table successful!
  • If you can bake any cookies or treats to donate for the cookie table, please email us at latrobewildcats2003@gmail.com - you can either drop off cookies at the reunion or they can be dropped off at the Latrobe Skating Center during business hours to Ashlee Erny or arranged to be picked up at a location convenient for you.

4.) TAKE THE REUNION DINNER SURVEY
Are you coming to the reunion and care about the food? 
Let us know your preferences.

  • In order to make the most people we can happy, we created a reunion dinner buffet survey to narrow down the possible choices for the all-you-can-eat buffet menu.   Just take a few minutes to put in your votes, so we can make sure we select the food the majority of people like
  • Follow this link to the survey
          Reunion Buffet Survey


5.) FILL OUT THE REUNION SUPERLATIVES
Do you know some classmates who truly deserve some recognition?  
Then, nominate them!

  • In order to have a little fun and get more people involved in the reunion as well as recognize our fellow classmates and friends, we created some fun reunion superlatives categories.  Please take a minute to nominate your classmates or yourself for each category
  • Please follow the link to the blog post with all the categories - and has the instructions for nominating individuals.  You don't have to list people for every category, but try your best!  Send your nominations to our class email - latrobewildcats2003@gmail.com


6.) SEND IN OLD PICTURES FOR THE MEMORY SLIDESHOW
Do you have great pictures of classmates you can submit? 

  • In order to have a great and representative memory slideshow, we need pictures from all groups of classmates.  We would love submissions from Senior prom, graduation, sporting events, also after graduation events - such us weddings, showers, college and events that are comprised of Latrobe 2003 classmates.
  • If everyone could submit between 5-10 pictures, we'd have a great selection.  There is NO limit how many you submit, and we will do our best to include all of them!  Please email them to latrobewildcats2003@gmail.com


7.) VOLUNTEER TO HELP WITH THE 'IN MEMORY OF' MEMORIAL TABLE
We have sadly lost too many classmates, and we'd like to recognize them.  
Can you help?

  • We are creating a memory table display at the reunion to reflect upon those lives of classmates we have lost.  In order to do them justice, we need volunteers to make a representative display. If you were close to one of those lost, and can offer pictures, memories, quotes, please volunteer to create a poster board display for the reunion.
  • For more information regarding this, please see the original blog post, and contact the appropriate point people. 


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Remember - we are offering incentives for those who volunteer!  As you know, we will be having a Chinese Auction AND a 50/50 Raffle at the reunion to raise funds for future reunions.  In order to get more people interested in donating a gift basket or making cookies or submitting photos for the slideshow, we are offering FREE BONUS raffle tickets for the Chinese auction and the 50/50 Raffle to those who participate.  Please follow the link below to the original blog post regarding incentives to help out with the reunion!



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Lastly, don't forget --- here is just some things to remember on the day of the reunion!

NO PHYSICAL TICKETS are NECESSARY for ENTRY!
WE have a master list with everyone's name who has paid and whether they get a drink wristband.

You will have paid for all your food (and drinks, if you purchased a drink ticket) - so no additional money is necessary.  However, for the 50/50 raffle and the Chinese Auction - raffle tickets will be for sale, cash only.  It would be good to bring between $5-$50 in cash, depending on how many raffle tickets and 50/50 tickets you might plan on purchasing that evening.

So, do please remember to bring some CASH to partake in the reunion Chinese Auction and 50/50 raffle.  Proceeds will all be used for future reunions!  Therefore, you will get a chance to win prizes or money all well helping us with a little fundraising efforts.

THINGS TO REMEMBER - NIGHT OF REUNION:

-ID (we know you are of age, but their bartender may still wish to request it to verify)
-CASH (for Chinese Auction and 50/50 Raffle tickets)
-CAMERA (to capture all the memories with old friends)

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We look forward to seeing everyone soon!  
Just 10 more days til the celebration!!!





One More Week to Buy Tickets

This is just a friendly reminder ...

This is the LAST WEEK to purchase 10 year reunion tickets!  We have to give the venue a final headcount by December 21, so it is necessary if you plan to attend the reunion to RSVP and pay for your tickets before then.  There will be no way to sell tickets at the door as they must have a final guest count prior in order to ensure that there is enough food at the buffet, appetizers, and the bar is properly stocked accordingly.  We truly appreciate your understanding, and hope you can come.

Please follow the link below and order tickets now!  We extended the Early Bird discount well past the original dates and now Standard ticket prices apply.  This is really crunch time for the committee to put things together and ensure a successful and fun event for all classmates.  It will be a great time where classmates can reconnect in our own private venue and enjoy dinner, dancing, and a great time catching up with all our old friends, so please consider attending.  We truly appreciate everyone's help so far and look forward to seeing you all in two weeks!

Thank you and Don't forget ... get your tickets NOW!


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BUY REUNION TICKETS HERE

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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Remembering to Give Thanks

Just a quick update on some of wonderful reunion volunteers ...

In the spirit of Thanksgiving just happening and the holiday season upon us, we wanted to take a few moments to give thanks and recognize those classmates who have already volunteered to help with different aspects of the reunion!

There is still PLENTY of time to also volunteer and help, and we really could use all the help we can get!  Please consider helping out in some way and get your name on this list, so we can give thanks to you and celebrate ...  If we are missing anyone who was able to commit to a specific area, please email us so we can add you.  We are doing our best to keep track of everyone who is volunteering help, gift baskets, photos, or cookies, etc, but we make mistakes - so let us know!

Thank you again everyone for helping so far and look forward to getting some more volunteers in these last few weeks!  



Current Cookie Table Volunteers:


  • Michelle Newcomer Bellew
  • Kate Donaldson Schwab
  • Ronald Jase Stas
  • Jodi Torock Gauker
  • Ali Davis Cox
  • Jennifer Dorko


Committee Members committed to cookie making ...


  • Ashlee Erny
  • Amanda Bangor Best
  • Emily Leone Honhart
  • Laura Greene Parsons
  • Phil Stout



Current Gift Basket Chinese Auction Volunteers:


  • Jodi Torock Gauker 
  • Christine Snively
  • Elizabeth Hixson Smith


Committee Members committed to donating baskets ...


  • Phil Stout
  • Emily Leone Honhart
  • Laura Greene Parsons
  • Amanda Hall
  • Jennifer Shaffer
  • Lisa Frank Eicher
  • Ashlee Erny
  • Colby Musick


Current In Memory Of Memorial Table Volunteers:


  • Ashlee Erny - in Honor of Douglas Rogers
  • Rose Marinchek Smoker - in Honor of Adam Smoker
  • Waylon Zepp - in Honor of James Harris

Current Photograph Donations for Memory Slideshow:

  • Colby Musick
  • Kate Donaldson Schwab





10 Year Reunion Superlatives

Get ready for some fun .... and nominate your fellow classmates for the 10 Year Reunion Superlatives!!!

In the spirit of having fun and recognizing our friends, we created some fun Reunion Superlatives!  The categories are listed below.  We will be taking open nominations for each category from December 10 until December 20.  Every individual can submit up to 5 nominations for both a male and female in each category (so you could submit 5 male names and 5 female names total for each category).  

On December 20 - All nominations will be tallied up and the top 4 individuals for each category will be placed in an online survey, which will be available for all classmates to vote for from December 20 until December 25.  

The winners of each superlative category will be announced at the reunion.  The winners of each category will receive 2 extra 50/50 ticket entries and 2 Chinese auction tickets as well as receive a certificate honoring them, get their picture taken, and of course, all the glory that goes with the title!  

You do NOT need to be present at the reunion to win, and you do not need to be attending the reunion to nominate people.  If you win and are not present, we will just place the tickets in the raffles for you and contact you afterwards to send you your certificate.  

In order for this to work and be successful and fun, we need classmates to MAKE NOMINATIONS!!  Please take a few minutes to read through the categories and the descriptions, and  then cut and paste each category and submit the names of the individuals you wish to nominate.  If you want, you are more than welcome to nominate yourself for every category!  Just please participate and nominate someone :)  

Thank you so much and we look forward to receiving your nominations!  Please submit them to latrobewildcats2003@gmail.com 



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10 Year High School Reunion 
Superlatives Categories


Most Likely to Age Gracefully
-This is the classmate who is still easiest on the eyes, even after ten years, and whose good looks with likely not fade even with 10 more years

Most Likely to Always be Jacked & Tan
-This is the classmate who is still in the best shape of their life; always at the gym working out or participating in marathons, sporting leagues, etc, staying healthy and fit

Most Likely to Rule the World
-This is the classmate who is always on top of things, out achieving great success and advancement in their life and career, a true go-getter, Type A personality with a positive attitude and desire to accomplish great goals

Most Likely to Save the World
-This is the classmate who is a true humanitarian; always volunteering their time and efforts for countless causes and trying to make a difference and leave this world as a better place for future generations

Most Likely to Make You Smile (Always!)
-This classmate is the friendliest, most sweet and outgoing person; always there to offer a hand to help or an ear to listen, they are usually up to something nice or trying to brighten someone's day, which usually just their presence is enough!

Most Likely to Make You Laugh (Even When Completely Inappropriate!)
-This is the class clown, the hysterical one, always there to offer comedic relief in every situation!  Always cracking the best jokes, making everyone laugh 'til it hurts

Most Likely To Talk Your Ear Off
-This is the classmate who can talk about anything, anytime, anywhere!  They've always got something something to say, a new story to tell, the best and latest gossip, and somehow know everything that is going on; they are outgoing, easily making new friends and being social wherever they go

Most Likely to Be Dressed to the Nines
-This is the classmate who is always best dressed; they don't seem to ever look bad, always the perfectly paired outfit, their wardrobe is extensive and looks like it came straight from the pages of Vogue/GQ; they can coordinate anything and their fashions are always in season and stylish

Class of 2003 Couple
-This is a couple comprised of members of class who have stood the test of time as soul mates (This is to be for couples comprised of people only from GLSH Class of 2003)

Cutest Latrobe Couple
-This is a couple comprised of two Latrobean graduates (only one needs to be from our class, the other can be from any Latrobe class) that are too cute for words (please include Class year of other member of couple with nomination)

Most Awesome Mom / Dad
-This is the classmate who has had a child or even a couple, and is always out being Super Mom or Dad; taking their kids to extra curricular activities, baking cookies for school, throwing the best birthday parties, checking homework, taking everyone out to the park and for ice cream - you name it, they are always seen out and about making sure their kids enjoy life! 

Most Awesome Husband / Wife
-This is the classmate who is always going above and beyond in their marriage to show the world what it truly means to be a great wife / husband; they are sending flowers, making surprise dinners, showing love and affection constantly, and supporting their spouse day in and day out with all their being and everyone can see it!

Truly Inseparable (Best Friends Forever, Still!)
- These are two Class of 2003 classmates who were known to be the best of friends all through their Latrobe years and still have remained the very best of friends even after graduation.  Be it they were each other’s Best Mans / Maid of Honors, Godfathers/Godmothers to each other, etc, every step of the way, these two who have remained the best of friends and likely always will

Most Likely to Be Rocking Out in the Nursing Home
-This is the classmate who is still after all these years the life of the party.  They can make anyone laugh at any time, always up for a good time, always smiling, having a blast wherever they are and whatever they are doing; a true fun-loving free spirit

Most Likely to Be Found on a Crazy Adventure
-This is the classmate who is the world traveler - making us all jealous with the pictures on Facebook of their recent adventures.  Be it road trips across America or backpacking trips through Europe, they are always off on some new cultural adventure exploring this planet

Most Likely to Be Creating & Crafting Masterpieces
-This is the classmate who is the most artistic, most creative, most crafty person; whether it's painting a landscape, drawing a portrait, hand stitching a quilt, creating jewelry, home decor, even decorating cupcakes, this person puts Picasso and Pinterest to shame!  If it can be made, this person can do it!

We Can’t Stop And We Won’t Stop
-This is the classmate who is the No. 1 Party Animal!  Nothing will stop this classmate, not even ten years.  They were partying hard in our good ol’ Latrobe days and they are partying even harder now.  They know how to have a good time and nothing with stop them!

Sophisticated Lady & Debonair Gentleman  
-This is the classiest, most sophisticated, dignified lady and gentleman in the class; when you think of proper, poised, elegant people, this is who comes to mind; always polite, chivalrous, never forgets a thank you card, respectful of all people and ideas

No. 1 Western PA Die Hard 
-This is the classmate who lives and breathes for all things western PA … be it sports teams, local foods, the lingo … they walk the walk and talk the talk.  They bleed black and gold .. Pirates, Penguins, Steelers…  If there’s a game, they are there.  If there’s pierogies to be had, Jioio’s pizza to be eaten, Dino’s wings to devour, or Primanti’s sandwiches to down .. they are there.  Oh, and yinz know they can Polka and WILL have a money dance at their wedding!


 Credit to Artist Here