1966
Class of 1966, Best PHS Class EVER!
Since that warm and bright Sunday, May 22, 1966 when The Reverend Mr. Thomas Oler pronounced the benediction for our Baccalaureate, the Class of 1966, Best PHS Class EVER! has met the world head-on, determined to repay our debt to the Pierceton School and the community that supported us. Here’s what our classmate Cheryl Rager DiPietro wrote in the Pierceton Echoes that year:
This last year of our high school education was a busy one, filled with fun, sports, club activities, and a lot of work. We spent much of our time trying to earn enough money to go on our long-awaited trip to Washington. DC. Remember the card sales, Jon Hoppus’ careful management of the concession’s room, our after-game dances, our terrific “football jerseys” that Doug Gregory sold so many of with his wonderful sales pitch, and those cake raffles we held during the half-time of the basketball games? Yes, we did a lot this year, and we were represented in nearly every organization, sport, and club activity.
Although we are leaving PHS, we will always remember the crowded halls, the long lunch line, the noon games, the fun, the students, the teachers, and, most of all, the knowledge we gained there. The class of ’66 is on its way, and we know that Pierceton High School has prepared us well.
Cheryl couldn’t have known how exactly right she would be about us! Since the Pierceton School Alumni Association was re-organized in 2014, we have joined in their mission to promote the heritage and legacy of the Pierceton Schools. Members of the Class of 1966, Best PHS Class EVER! have contributed over $12,500 to PSAA projects and special funds for the benefit of our classmates, our community, and the PSAA organization.
So, it was not surprising the Class of 1966, Best PHS Class EVER! led the way in sponsoring the 131st Pierceton Alumni Banquet held in June 2024. That’s right! we contributed $200 to defray the cost of the meal and provided a $35 gift certificate for the Silent Auction. We followed that at the 132nd Alumni Banquet by donating another $200 to defray the banquet ticket price, and we offered two baskets that added over $125 for the Silent Auction. In 2026, we hope to raise $300 to sponsor the 133rd Pierceton Alumni Banquet on June, 27. Most likely, we’ll add a few items to the Silent Auction to raise more money for the Association.
Because, really, that’s exactly the kinds of people we are…always have been. It’s just the way it is.
Beginning in late 2018 members of our superlative class pledged $270 to the Teacher Appreciation Project to support the faculty and staff of the Pierceton Elementary School as part of the PSAA Back-to-School Project. By May 9, 2021, we had received $435 of the $270 we had pledged. In June 2021 we pledged $200 to the Whitko Scholarship Fund, and we gave them $250. That’s Right!! We receive MORE from our glorious classmates than we pledge…because, well, that’s who we are! Really, could our incredible class be any more marvelous?!? NO, WE COULD NOT!! (Well, of course…we could if we wanted to.)
In addition to our financial contributions, we donated over 120 volunteer hours to that Alumni Back-to-School Project for the 2018 – 2019 school year, and just over 70 hours in 2019 – 2020, because the school year was cut short. About half of all volunteers for the Project come from the incredible Class of 1966, Best PHS Class EVER!
Those are just some of the things you do when you are part of the
Class of 1966, Best PHS Class EVER!
And, we meet every month for a class luncheon.
Every month, members of the Class of 1966, Best PHS Class EVER! meet where we want, eat what we want, talk about what we want, and behave the way we want. Of course, where we meet, what we eat, what we talk about, and how we behave are all perfectly appropriate, as is becoming of the outstanding individuals we, by definition, are.
This Year’s Class Lunch History
February
The month of February found our amazing classmates in our familiar haunt at Savatori’s Italian Eatery in Warsaw. About a dozen of us gathered for some delicious food and great conversation. We mourned the absence of several members of our group, but that didn’t inhibit a glorious festive time enjoying the company of the world’s greatest people.
January
On January 14 the servers at El Corral Mexican Restaurant in Warsaw experienced the unmitigated joy of serving 17 of the incredible members of our illustrious Class of 1966, Best PHS Class EVER! We spent a little time after the meal reminiscing about the wonderful things we have done with our lives and the glorious exploits of our grandchildren.