KSS Grad 76 50-Year Reunion Report

The 50-year reunion for KSS Grads of 1976 took place on August 15, 2026, at the Kelowna Curling Club. A total of 101 grads and 27 guests were in attendance. Thank you to Events Manager Andrew Neville and the curling club staff for taking such good care of us.

It was great to see so many familiar faces gathered again 50 years after we left high school so full of hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, several people were unable to attend due to wildfires, flight cancellations, or other circumstances, but those who did manage to make it had an enjoyable evening of reminiscing. It was especially nice to see some people who had never attended a previous reunion.

In addition to a continuous-loop slide show of all grad photos s from the yearbook, there was a photo backdrop, a list of icebreaker conversation ideas, and an In Memoriam display consisting of photos and brief write-ups for 14 grads who are no longer with us.

Many thanks to Sonia Szombathy (Reichert) and Dennis Braam for helping with setup and decorations, the reception desk volunteers, and my long-suffering wife Linda Conrad for again being a sounding board, overseeing reception, assembling the name tags, and putting up with all the time I spent in preparation.

We had a terrific turnout of 21 grads plus a few partners for brunch in the banquet room of The Creekside Pub (www.creeksidepub.ca) on Sunday morning. This gave us another great visit with fellow grads in a more intimate setting than the previous night.

With the success of this event, and due to our advancing age, there is talk of the next reunion being 5 years from now in 2031. Several people have expressed interest in making this happen, so stay tuned.

It was a privilege and a rewarding experience to organize the 50-year reunion. I hope to see many of you for the next reunion 5 years from now.

Keep well.

Gerry Naito

Vernon, BC

August 24, 2026