By Mark Boshnack
Staff Writer
The Sidney High School All
Alumni Weekend celebrates its
10th year this weekend, starting
with a full slate of activities
Friday.
“We’ve built something that
has resonated
with the community,”
said
Sidney Central
School Alumni
Association
President Terry
Dermody. He
helped found
the group a
decade ago.
“It’s been an exciting time
to see a vision transform into a
reality,” he said.
One of the ways to judge the
success of the weekend is the
annual march of the classes, he
said, which is set for 11 a.m. Saturday
at Keith Clark Park.
The first year, there were only
a couple of classes represented,
Dermody said. But now there are
usually more than 40 groups that
participate by holding banners
and marching around the field in
a show of unity.
The golf tournament, which
will be held in two sessions
Friday at the Sidney Golf and
Country Club, started with 28
participants the
first year and is
expected to have
120 this year. This
event is one of
several that raises
money for scholarships.
Another such
event takes place during the
Sunday luncheon. At 11 a.m. at
the Sidney Fire training center
is the induction for those chosen
for the fourth annual Wall of
Fame, said Greg Davie, class of
’76 and a member of the board of
directors. Four to six alumni are
chosen annually,
he said, and because a
tough criteria is used, “It’s
very special.”
This year’s recipients
include: exemplary leadership
in public service _
Riley Henry Heath, class
of 1907; excellence in
teaching, mentoring and
leadership _ Mary Scofield
Ruland, ’08; exemplary
community service
_ Nancy Sue Burns, ’56;
excellence in teaching and
scholarship _ Suzanne
E. Wade, ’63; and distinguished
service to journalism
and education _ Brenda
Wrigley, ’72.
There are several changes
to the calendar this year,
including the volleyball
tournament, which starts
at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The
alumni basketball tournament
that was held in November
is being moved to
the weekend with an informal
game this year, Davie
said.
About 1,200 to 1,500
alumni have attended in
recent years, Davie said,
and that could increase
this year.
David added that it is
satisfying to look back on
the decade and see how
through establishing a
newspaper, website and
scholarships, the group is
fulfilling its mission of connecting
school, alumni and
community.
More information on
the weekend, including biographies
of Wall of Fame
inductees, is available at
www.sidneyalumni.org.
