This weekend the St. Joseph-Ogden Class of 1988 will be celebrating their 30th class reunion.
The class, which had 124 students, was the biggest class that had graduated at the time, said reunion co-organizer Kelly Reinhold Vogel.
The class has a weekend full of activities planned based around the SJO Homecoming events, including the homecoming game against Prairie Central on Friday night.
Friday the group will meet in downtown St. Joseph for dinner and then go to the game. The group has a 30th class reunion T-shirt available that organizers are encouraging class members to wear to the game.
Saturday at 11 a.m. the group is meeting at St. Joseph-Ogden High School for a tour of the building followed by lunch. Saturday night the group will meet in Royal for trivia, 80s music and cocktails.
“Reunions are important I think because it’s always important to remember where you come from,” Vogel said. “Good or bad it’s made you who you are and high school is a such a big part of that.”
Vogel said that she has talked to some people who have no interest in reunions or don’t remember much from high school.
“It just seems like the more fun and happier time they had in high school, the more eager they are to participate in reunions,” she said. “People who’ve graduated from SJO though are missing out if they don’t return for their reunions. The community of SJO is like no other and something you’ll never find again.”
Vogel said with social media it is becoming easier to keep in touch with friends from high school.
“My friends were amazing and I am very blessed today to still be in touch with most of them,” she said. “My best friends today are my best friends from high school. I feel very lucky.”
Vogel stumbled into helping plan the reunion.
She moved back to the area three years ago after living in the Buffalo, New York area.
For their 25th class reunion, the woman who usually planned reunions asked for help.
“This time around, I just got included again,” Vogel said. “We found with our class that people no longer really want the sit-down dinner and dance format. They want just a very casual time to visit.”
Vogel said some classmates are even flying in for the event.
“It should be a lot of fun,” she said.
For more information, visit the 1988 SJO Reunion Facebook page.
