2020 GHS/FCHS Alumni Banquet cancelled

By Signal Staff

Plans for the 2020 Geneva/Fillmore Central High School Alumni Banquet were well underway, but, unfortunately, this year’s planning committee has made a difficult decision. The committee announced late last week that the 2020 GHS/FCHS Alumni Banquet scheduled for May 23 has been cancelled. The alumni officers made the decision because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has already curtailed activities of more than 10 people through May 11 with many expecting an additional extension. Also group sporting activities have been shut down until the end of May.
The alumni committee discussed other options, but postponement to another date would be difficult since there is so much uncertainty about how and when restrictions will be lifted. This year’s banquet was scheduled to happen at the Ag/Exhibition Hall on the Fillmore County Fairgrounds with the them of “Geneva Will Shine.” The alumni officers now ask you to mark May 29, 2021, on your calendars. The group plans to combine two banquets into one by honoring the 20 and 50-year classes from both 2020 and 2021.
The alumni association will be awarding the Howard Hamilton Scholarship this year. Since this year’s applicants had already submitted their applications, the group felt it was important that the association honor its commitment to them. The student has been selected and the announcement will be made soon.
However, since there is no event this year, the alumni association will not be mailing out the newsletter/invitation. The group will try to communicate with as many GHS/FCHS alumni as possible by email, Facebook and The Nebraska Signal. Printing the newsletter and postage costs would be an added expense, the committee noted. But that also means, that the generous donations that the association receives each year from this annual mailing will be in jeopardy. The money collected is vital if the alumni association wants to continue making this scholarship available to college students. If you would like to make a donation to this long-standing GHS/FCHS tradition, please send your contributions to Jan Miller O’Brien at 602 Road O, Shickley, NE, 68436.
The alumni committee and officers apologize for any inconvenience and disappointment—”Stay Home, Stay Healthy, and remember that the comeback is always stronger than the setback.”