Mary Ellen Gregory, a 1963 graduate of Union High School, presents Tommy Sinclair and Roger Bailey, two organizers of the Super ‘60s Reunion, with $131 she won from a raffle held during Saturday’s event. Gregory gave her winnings back so it could go toward a scholarship fund. Find more information on page 11.
The T-shirt above describes it all. More than 800 classmates and friends descended upon Union on Saturday for the first-ever Super ‘60s Reunion.
A "Super Sixties" reunion was held Saturday at the Union County Fairgrounds to reunite all of the Union High School graduating classes from the 1960s. Graduates gathered to celebrate and reminicse about a decade that started in social calm and ended in necessary activism. The 1960s saw a nation marvel at the technology of the live Kennedy-Nixon debate and a man walking on the moon.
The Super Sixties event was originally scheduled to be the 45th reunion of the Class of 1965 but several members of the class expressed interest in expanding the effort to include more classes in the reunion. Members of the class of 1964 also had expressed interest in the notion of a combined reunion since many of the graduates and their spouses graduated a few years apart.
"We decided if not us then who and if not now then when," said Union County Supervisor Tommy Sinclair during his welcome and opening remarks Saturday night. Ronnie Wade, Roger Bailey, Gregg Walker, Mike Anthony, Jerry Williams and Sinclair pooled together seed money, contacted local class representatives and began meeting once a month. Everyone involved took on a different task to bring the Super Sixties Reunion idea to fruition.
On behalf of Union County Council and the City of Union, Sinclair and Mayor Harold Thompson jointly proclaimed May 8, 2010, as Union High School — 1960s Graduates Day.
Sinclair also stressed the importance of seizing the day during his opening remarks.
"What a feeling to be surrounded by friends, maybe even family, who share your backgrounds, interests and history . . . people that remember and talk of your past fondly and wish you well in the future," Sinclair said. "About the only time you may be surrounded by that collective atmosphere and spirit again may be at your funeral, but today they can say to you face to face, eye to eye with a hand grasped, 'So good to see you,' rather than looking down and turning to someone else and saying about you, 'My, he sure looks good.'"
Sinclair's remarks were followed by a memorial ceremony for deceased classmates — reading of names by Jerris Garner and lighting of a candle by Teala Walker. The deceased veterans of the 1960s classes were remembered with a flag folding ceremony performed by the Honor Guard and Ronnie Lee. Closing comments from Tommy Sinclair and Teala Walker were made, followed by a prayer led by Reverend Curt Bradford.
The crowd of more than 800 was then treated to a 1960s-style dinner — complete with Clarinets, the same cherry drink and Sprite mix, everyone who graduated in the decade enjoyed at Heart’s — before dancing the night away to live ‘60s music performed by Robert Smith & The Original Tams. The event was catered by Dairi-O and recorded music for the evening was provided by Ronnie Lybrand.
“In my mind, there was not a hitch,” Sinclair said about how the reunion turned out, everyone who attended got there safe and returned home safe.
The weather even cooperated, turning cooler as the day progressed but not cool enough to cool off the french fries, onion rings, hamburgers and chicken the classmates enjoyed for dinner.
“We want to express our appreciation to the 800 folks who came,” Sinclair said. “They represented Union and Union High School well and the ‘60s well.”
Those who attended the reunion had the chance to catch up with former classmates and remember their high school days — that was the main event of the night, according to 1963 Union High graduate Mary Ellen Gregory of Union.
“It was great,” she said. “It was fantastic. Everything was well planned. They did a great job.”
Giving back
Gregory was one of many who purchased raffle tickets for the chance to win a cash prize and to help support the creation of a scholarship fund by the group who organized the Super ‘60s event.
Half of the proceeds from raffle ticket sales went to the scholarship while the other portion was used to pay the raffle winner and cover the reunion’s costs.
“We started a scholarship fund that’s pretty healthy,” Sinclair said. “Now we’re trying to endow it so it can be annual.”
Gregory happened to be the winner of the raffle, taking home $131 on Saturday night.
But it didn’t stay in her pocket long.
She instead came to Sinclair on Monday and said she wanted to give the money back to be used toward the scholarship fund. Gregory said she was giving the money back because Union High already had given her something when she graduated in 1963 — a $100 scholarship from the booster club.
She said since she got something — that helped her receive an education after high school and ultimately become a physical education teacher and girls basketball and volleyball coach at Fairforest Middle School in Spartanburg for 31 years — she wanted to give something back so she returned the raffle winnings.
Sinclair said Gregory’s gift is appreciated and hopes others will help support the scholarship fund.
“Her generosity this morning is an example for others,” he said. “I encourage others to help the endowment.”
Anyone who would like to help support the scholarship fund should contact Sinclair, Roger Bailey or any of the Super ‘60s Reunion organizers.
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