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Reunion cancellation due to COVID-19

Forums: General Discussion
Created on: 04/06/20 10:46 PM Views: 868 Replies: 16
Monday, April 6, 2020 at 10:46 PM

Our 50th reunion is scheduled for October 9-11, 2020. Is anyone else planning a reunion around then, and have you postponed it? A sister class has postponed their 55th reunion scheduled for the same weekend as ours. Right now, we're planning on waiting till June to make a decision.

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Edited 04/06/20 10:46 PM
Monday, April 6, 2020 at 11:15 PM - Response #1

So sorry that you are having to deal with a decision after doing so much work. I sure don't know what I would do at this point. I think that I would most likely be inclined to postpone till the air is totally clear, so to speak. Good luck and I am sure your classmates will understand whatever decision you make. Best to you....+

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Monday, April 6, 2020 at 11:17 PM - Response #2

We're having an 80th Birthday Party on September 19 and are waiting to see what happens. I'm not sure when we'll make the call or ask for reservations. I would guess June.

Carole

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Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 1:18 AM - Response #3

Our 50th is planned for October 9, 10, 11.
So far, no discussion of cancellation, though I am trying to get a Zoom video conference for later in the week.

Stay safe out there!

Hope you enjoy this YouTube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMBh-eo3tvE

I posted it on our site - lots of good reviews!

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Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 3:10 AM - Response #4

Hi - our 50th reunion is October 17th and there has been some non-official chatter. Our committee meeting for April 1 was postponed - no date. We will most likely plan a ZOOM meeting soon. I have been asked to print labels for the save-the-date for our non-registered classmates for a May 1 mailing, but I plan to go back to our co-chairs and confirm that. And a friend's son has a wedding planned for October 22 and they have not canceled yet. I'll get back to you all.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 10:35 AM - Response #5

Hi,
Our 60th Class reunion is scheduled for 25-27 Sept in Peoria, Ill. We feel that it is too early to make a cancellation decision. Ultimately, we will probably base a go/no go decision on the high school status and the football season status. Open and playing we will most likely go.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 1:31 PM - Response #6

We have our 50th planned for September 2020. We are waiting until May to make a decision. We have a contract with a hotel and we have to see how everything plays out.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 3:21 PM - Response #7

Our 50th was scheduled for May 15th & 16th and we postponed it. We want to reschedule for early August, but we are also reluctant to re-schedule too soon. Our hotel (Hilton Garden Inn) is working with us so far. We're in Florida so Hurricane season is another difficult time for scheduling reunions. Since there is a possibility, but not certainty about a second wave of the virus, I'd wait as long as you can to (hopefully) have a better idea ...probably okay to have a tentative date though.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 9:55 PM - Response #8

Our 55th is scheduled for September 26, 2020. We will revisit around July 4th before cancelling. Sadly, it may not be safe. In addition, the many venues currently closed may not reopen.
Hope all reading this stay safe and are well. That’s all that matters.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 10:42 PM - Response #9

Our class is having a Turning 75 together Party the first weekend in October. So far we are still planning to have it. Time will tell.

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Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 8:22 PM - Response #10

Scott Moore wrote:

Our 50th reunion is scheduled for October 9-11, 2020. Is anyone else planning a reunion around then, and have you postponed it? A sister class has postponed their 55th reunion scheduled for the same weekend as ours. Right now, we're planning on waiting till June to make a decision.

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for the post, Scott. I will add that my 50th reunion is scheduled for September 18-19, 2020. My co-chair and I have decided to wait until June.

If we, Americans, are given a type of 'all clear' for the fall, this is our current plan for June.
We are sure this is going to impact attendance even if we have an 'all clear'. With that in mind, we will open a survey with several questions asking our classmates about their thoughts and if they will attend. This is important due to the per-person cost and minimum food & beverage at the venue.

About a month ago, we learned the management of our dinner venue was going to change and did not see that as a problem. However, the new management sent a new contract asking us to sign it. As it is not exactly the same, I've asked my co-chair to review all the differences I highlighted between the two and to address it with the new management. (Her experience as a non-profit CEO getting government agencies to work together is perfect for this!) It was in reviewing the two contracts, I realized what we all may face and it is indeed important for all reunion planners to consider the following:

1. Venues have had multiple cancellations. Some events are rebooking, some are not.

2. Another venue we considered has been offering to open spaces for weddings and events that were scheduled at other locations that have closed.

3. Weddings are the big spenders - not high school reunions.

4. If you think of postponing your reunion it is best to have a location, date and time locked in. Why? You will be in the midst of the current cancellations and new events looking for space at the same time. Though event locations are hurting now, they will most likely be booked solid when it is okay to have large gatherings.

Do not panic. I believe we all need to be aware of what we MAY be in the midst of at some point.

Be well, everyone!


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Edited 04/08/20 8:24 PM
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 9:16 PM - Response #11

https://fortune.com/2020/03/19/coronavirus-events-canceled-postponed/

If your planning anything please read article

Working in public health, there’s no crystal ball when this will end. The scientists cannot make any prediction - rightfully so. Scientists warn that the virus might not fade in warm weather. The virus will determine the time line.
For those planning a 50th in 2020 there must be so much anxiety.
It might be best to postpone til 2021.
If attorneys are in your class, have them read Contracts. Our 55th has 50 people currently paid. If our venue remains open & if we decide to cancel, our deposit will be refunded - we have that in writing. If you sign any Contract, you are responsible, not your Classmates. Err on the side of caution.

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Edited 04/09/20 5:16 PM
Saturday, April 11, 2020 at 8:52 AM - Response #12

We have our 55th Reunion Scheduled for Sept 11 & 12. We are waiting to see what happens and will decided sometime in July. Luckily for us we have not had to put down any down payments as we are having a picnic at our local park and the dinner is at one of our classmate's country club and she said we will not have any issues if we have to cancel.

Here's hoping life gets back to normal and we can all celebrate not only our reunions but the fact that we can finally get together again.

Stay safe and Healthy Everyone!

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Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 3:42 PM - Response #13

Due to Covid-19, our 55th Class Reunion scheduled for September 26, 2020 is cancelled. We hope to reschedule in 2022 after a vaccine hopefully will be developed & readily available.

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Edited 04/18/20 7:44 AM
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at 5:06 PM - Response #14

Our 50th was scheduled for "10-10-20-20" -- the weekend of October 9, 10, and 11th. As of today, May 6, we decided to postpone it, and celebrate our 50th reunion in October 2021.

In correspondence with about twenty classmates, it became clear that really none of us was keen on taking the risk of travel and being in a close setting. As one classmate aptly put it, "The reunion should be something to look forward to -- not to be anxious about."

Assuming that things do clear up in the next 12-18 months, it's possible that the hotels and other venues will be very much booked, with all the weddings and reunions that were not able to take place this year. We were going to wait until mid-May or June to make our decision, but realistically I don't see things improving to the point that we'd feel safe. Our hotel told us there'd be no cancellation fees no matter what we did, and we are booking the event there for October 2021, seventeen months from now.

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Edited 05/06/20 5:09 PM
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at 6:51 PM - Response #15

Great response, Fred! We have our 50th booked for the same weekend as yours, and haven't postponed it yet. May wait till next month to decide. Massachusetts has the third highest number of COVID-19 deaths of all the states, so it's not looking good right now. If we cancel, I'll use that quote from your classmate in our mass email: "The reunion should be something to look forward to -- not to be anxious about." Perfect sentiment.

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Edited 05/06/20 9:59 PM
Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 10:05 AM - Response #16

Our committee has re-scheduled for the third time, for the last weekend in September.
Time will tell.
We ARE living in unprecedented times, for sure [at least for our generations]!

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