Even though a quarter-century has passed since the Draper School closed, it is still drawing a crowd.
More than 200 students of the former Draper School gathered last year to share memories from within the walls. This year, planners hope to pull in even more tales. The school closed in 1987 and was absorbed into the Mohonasen School District.
The second annual Draper “Across the Years” reunion will be held on Saturday, July 21, at the Rotterdam Elks Lodge located at 1152 Curry Road starting at 4 p.m. with a meet and greet. There will also be a free pre-party on Friday, July 20, starting at 6 p.m. at the Blue Jay Tavern located at 2721 Broadway.
“We have people from the beginning of the school that are coming all the way through to the last year,” said reunion organizer Patricia Liddle. “A lot of the people that have come up through Rotterdam … they have come up through the school and they stayed here so it is their hometown.”
Liddle recalled moving to Rotterdam from New Jersey in 1969 and not knowing anyone. The record-breaking snowfall, she said, also delivered a cold welcome that year.
“We moved here in August and I went to school and all of a sudden it was Thanksgiving and we had so much snow I couldn’t get out of the driveway,” she said. “I used to cry — this place was so far off the beaten path.”
But soon enough she ended up making friends, enjoying the town and finding people to be very welcoming. Now, she credits moving to Rotterdam for saving her life. She said many people she knew from New Jersey ended up dying from drug use.
After having so many positive memories and good friends though school, she wanted to gather everyone back together again and organized the first reunion.
“You look and expect to see that same face from when you graduated … and a lot of times they don’t look the same,” she said.
Jan Legere, from the Class of 1962, also said she ran into the same problem.
“We all look so different, but we are still kids in our head,” Legere said. “You will go up to someone and you will recognize them, but you can’t think of their name.”
Legere, a Scotia resident, said even with a long history with classmates, she still learns new things.
“We learn new things about each other even through we have known each other for 50 years,” she said.
Her brother, Chuck Robinson, is planning to make the trip from Utah for this year’s reunion. She said after word spread about last year’s reunion, more and more people have found out about it and want to attend.
“That is how much excitement it just generating, because it is just a lot of fun to see your old friends,” Legere said.
Lou Famiano, from the Class of 1958, is traveling quite a distance from his home in West Lafayette, Ind., to attend the reunion.
“I still in touch with a lot of guys form Draper,” Famiano said. “I graduated from Draper, but I wasn’t at the top of the class, believe me.”
He said he enjoyed talking to students that came after him and “cross referencing” opinions of teachers many years after he graduated.
“We had a strong history (at Draper) of kids turning things around and getting things done,” he said.
The buffet dinner at the Elks Lodge for the reunion will be from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., with dancing set to continue on through the night. The cost is $30 per person for the buffet dinner and dance and people can come to the event after 6:30 p.m. and pay $5 to drop-in.
Entry into the event isn’t guaranteed unless a ticket is paid for in advance due to the limited capacity of the venue and the large turnout expected.
Checks can be made to “Across the Years,” and mailed to 473 Cranford Place, Schenectady, NY, 12306. Names (current and maiden) of each attendee, spouse if attending, year graduated or years attended, address, telephone number and email address should be included with payment.
For more information, call Patricia Liddle at 355-9224 or Joe Pugliese at 356-3433.