On Saturday, July 8, 2017, the Pea Ridge High School Alumni Association hosted an All-Years School Reunion at the Pea Ridge High School cafeteria. This is a yearly event regularly held on the second Saturday in July. The morning started with coffee and donuts at 9 a.m. and a lunch buffet of sandwiches, chips, cookies and drinks followed at noon. The event focuses on visiting, reminiscing, renewing contacts and friendships among alums of Pea Ridge High School, along with former teachers, administrators, coaches and staff.
Funds raised by the event support the Alumni Scholarship program. Several of the 2017 Alumni Scholarship recipients were introduced and welcomed, and elections were held for members to serve on the Alumni Association's Board of Directors.
The PRHS Alumni Association is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation whose chief service project is the Alumni Scholarship program, assisting PRHS graduates in beginning their college education. For 2017, 11 Alumni scholarships were awarded to graduating seniors. This year's recipients were: Nathan Spencer, Rylie Hickman, Everett Watson, Hannah Means, Dalton Harwell, Tatum Richardson, Hailey Nesbitt, Christian Brown, Brett Scott, James Sorrell and Devon Giertz. Three of this year's recipients were presented to the alumni Saturday -- Brown, Means and Sorrell.
Arvest gift cards for $25 were given to the oldest alum present -- Bernice Bingham Drymon (Class of 1951) -- and to the alum who traveled furthest to the reunion -- Wade Barnett (Class of 1977) from Savannah,Ga.
Merchants and members of the community provided items for the raffles including Terry Dean, who donated a sign with the Pea Ridge city location, won by Wade Barnett; Sew and Sew Quilt Shop donated a Blackhawk quilt, won by Royle Carnes; Roy and Jamie Cotton, Robin Hudson family and Arvest Bank donated a DeWalt power tool kit, won by Jane Weiser; Staples donated an office chair, won by Cheryl Tillman; and the Alumni Association provided a chair which was won by Keeli Brown.
Following Saturday's alumni gathering at the High School, which wrapped up at 2 p.m., several individual class reunions and family reunions were held. At least 145 PRHS Alumni, as well as guests and family members, registered and attended Saturday's reunion.
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Editor's note: Penny Hall Schwitters is the treasurer of the Pea Ridge High School Alumni Association.
Community on 07/26/2017