Flint Hills Discovery Center
We hope you've already marked your calendars! The MHS Class of 1972 50-year reunion will be held in Manhattan (of course) on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-28.
Members of the reunion committee —Ellen Durkee, Joanne Gallaher, Lee Harris, Marcia Higginson, Nancy Kruh, Terry (Edmunds) Olson, Dawn (Thompson) Olney, and Greg Thompson — are all working to make this an unforgettable celebration.
Classmates can look forward to a weekend of activities centered around two social events:
On Friday, we will gather for an opening-night mixer from 5 to 9 p.m. in the clubhouse of the scenic Colbert Hills Golf Course in northwest Manhattan. In both the dining area and the patio (complete with fire pit), we'll be enjoying drinks, hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, and the stunning Flint Hills landscape for this come-and-go get-together.
Colbert Hills Golf Course clubhouse
On Saturday, we will come back together for a banquet from 6 to 10 p.m. in the dramatic space of the Flint Hills Discovery Center downtown. We're excited to be able to bring you this unique location that features two full floors of party space amid the center's stunning exhibits, as well as an outdoor rooftop terrace. The buffet dinner at 7 p.m. will feature beef, chicken, and vegetarian options.
Discovery Center interior
Additionally, the reunion committee is planning free activities during the day, including a guided tour of the Konza Prairie preserve (by our own nature expert Terry Olson) and a pontoon excursion on Tuttle Creek Reservoir (with captain Tad Thompson). For the most adventuresome, thanks to the generosity of a classmate, Kansas State University’s Aviation College is offering us free 20-minute air tours of the region. The college is providing the aircraft and alums who are qualified pilots to conduct the tours in small groups over Manhattan's neighborhoods and downtown, the university campus, Tuttle Creek Reservoir and more, all amid the beautiful Flint Hills terrain.
KSU aerial view
For those interested in touring the high school, you'll have to stay tuned. We are still hoping to schedule one, but it's complicated by the fact that MHS will be a construction zone. The school is expanding – again!
A schedule of daytime events, as well as sign-up, will be in your registration. Since space is limited for these activities, they'll be offered on a first-come, first-served basis — so plan to get your registration in early!
Speaking of registration: Forms will be sent out via email and snail mail (to those whose email addresses aren’t on file) in March. Early-bird rates will be $25 for the Friday mixer, $50 for the Saturday banquet, and $75 for both events. Full rates of $30 (Friday), $60 (Saturday), and $90 (Friday and Saturday) kick in after April 15. You will be able to pay via Venmo, Zelle, or by personal check.
News about accommodations: A block of 30 rooms has been reserved for us for Friday and Saturday nights, at a daily rate of $119, at the Hilton Garden Inn at 410 S. Third Street. It's in the southeast corner of downtown within easy walking distance to the Flint Hills Discovery Center. To reserve a room, call 785-532-9116 and request the Class of '72 rate. Or click on this link.
Hilton Garden Inn
A few words about COVID-19: The planning committee's goal is an enjoyable – and safe – event, and we are hopeful that the virus' current surge will have receded by the end of May. We will continue to monitor conditions, and as we move closer to the event, we will specifically address concerns with health-safety protocols, as needed. Already, the committee has made sure that open, outdoor areas are available at both Colbert Hills and the Discovery Center, so you can attend both events without being confined to an enclosed space.
The committee is asking all who plan to attend the event to keep themselves safe and also to be mindful of other classmates’ health concerns in this contagious environment. At present, the CDC recommends the most effective way to protect yourself and others in group settings is be fully vaccinated (including booster), to test negative immediately before any group gathering, and to wear a mask (an N95 or KN95 are best).
No doubt we live in a far different time than previous reunions, but some things of course, will be the same. As usual, reunion planners are committed to keeping the cost of the event affordable to all classmates. And as always, we’ll be getting together to catch up, reminisce, and reconnect with this precious community, now 50 years strong.
Right now, here are five things you can do to make sure this will be an event worthy of our amazing class:
1. Plan to come and let us know you'll be there! Email mhsclassof72@gmail.com so we can add your name to the list in the blog's righthand column.
2. Keep up to date with all reunion news. It will be posted on both the class' private Facebook page, 72forever, and on this public site. To be sure you receive all updates, you can subscribe to this blog. If you're on FB and haven't received an invitation to the private page, email mhsclassof72@gmail.com or write to Nancy Kruh on FB Messenger.
3. Contact the people you’d like to see at the reunion, encourage them to come, and invite them to visit this website.
4. Help us stay in contact with you! If you're here as a result of snail-mail correspondence, it means we don't have a current email address for you. Please send your email address to mhsclassof72@gmail.com — and save us a stamp.
5. Help us find missing classmates. (See the list in the blog's righthand column.)
It won't be a reunion without YOU!
