SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Sports, musicals, socials and friends – oh my! The Vincent Massey Collegiate 50th Anniversary Reunion that is happening on May 27 to 30 will be so busy with exciting things to do and people to catch up with, one alumni is even flying in from Marlborough, New Zealand for the party.
“This is going to be a good Homecoming event,” said Paul Sveinson, Reunion Chair. “35 per cent of our attendees are from out of town and 4 per cent of those are from out of country.”
Sveinson and the rest of the organizing committee are planning a special nod to the reunion’s Homecoming 2010 angle.
“We are going to cap our attendance at 2010,” he said.
The weekend will be filled with fun events and activities alumni can participate in, starting with a bon fire and outdoor beer garden on Thursday and Friday night.
“The beer garden is really a social with food and beer and wine, especially for those coming in from out of town that haven’t been to a Manitoba social in awhile,” said Sveinson.
Loud music and dancing isn’t for everyone. For those who would prefer to sit down and chat with old classmates, there will be a “mingler” in the main ballroom at the Holiday Inn, conveniently located just across the field from the beer gardens.
Alumni don’t have to wait until Friday night for fun. Tee times for the alumni golf event at the Wildewood Club start in the morning and continue into the afternoon. Later in the afternoon, Vincent Massey Collegiate is celebrating the school’s second season of football with an exhibition game.
“It was Vincent Massey’s first year in the Winnipeg High School Football League last season,” said Sveinson. “It will be the first time most people see Vincent Massey playing football.”
The Massey Musical Memories show is sure to bring memories flooding back. The cast has been rehearsing since October to perform a montage of the best songs from many musicals Vincent Massey students have put on over the past 50 years.
There will be a pool tournament Saturday at Triple B’s Bar and Billiards on Scurfield Boulevard from noon until two o’clock. Many Massey grads might remember the old bowling and billiards near the high school. The hang out isn’t there anymore, but the tournament is going to be an homage to time students spent there.
“The principle used to go over there and get the kids to go back to class,” said Sveinson.
Also on Saturday, alumni have a chance to relive the competitive nature of high school sports. The Vincent Massey gym will be open at 10 o’clock for alumni to participate in volleyball and basketball games all afternoon.
There will be a big dinner and dance on Saturday night at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. The Stardust Memories Dinner Dance will kick off with cocktails at 5:30 and lead into a night of great food, opportunities to take class photos and entertainment by the popular Ron Paley Big Band.
The reunion’s wind-up event is the Sunday Family Picnic taking place at Crescent Drive Park and everyone is invited.
“We have the park reserved and we’re going to have a barbeque,” said Sveinson. “We are encouraging people to bring their families to the picnic.”
For more information about the Vincent Massey Collegiate 50th Anniversary Reunion, visit their website www.vmc50threunion.ca.
