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August 20, 2021
Hi, <<First Name>>...
Do I have your attention with the rather ominous image above? Yes? Good... then you'll be better prepared emotionally for the contents of this email. A lot has happened in the past four weeks. Let's see if I can put it all into perspective and reassure you about our reunion plans.
New COVID-19 cases have been steadily rising across the country since early July, but it's only gotten a lot of peoples' attention in the past month or so. I'm not going to pretend that I know (or assume that you don't know) everything about the delta variant, but suffice to say that (1) it has clearly become the pandemic of the unvaccinated and yet (2) even vaccinated individuals are capable of getting COVID-19 and spreading it to others. That's not good news.
This has impacted the 50-year reunion plans of our friends in the Class of 1971 in two significant ways:
- Lorrie Joseph Stirling, Class of 1971 reunion committee co-chair and all-around booster for planning reunions for her class every five years, contracted COVID in mid-July. She underwent treatment at Riverside Community Hospital, was placed on a ventilator in the ICU, and died from COVID-related pneumonia on August 13. Her memorial service is Saturday, August 21.
- Laura Mecchia West, reunion co-chair with Lorrie, cancelled their October reunion in an announcement today on their class Facebook page saying that it was "due to covid infection rates and the loss of Lorrie."
This is a sobering reminder of the potentially tragic consequences of underestimating this pandemic. Lorrie's death hit me hard... I've been interacting with her over the past couple of months, recruiting her to be the photographer at our reunion, helping her set up a Zoom virtual gathering in mid-June to celebrate 50-years since their graduation ceremony, and talking/texting back and forth on the phone. I believe her death was avoidable, but it's now up to us, the living, to see if we can learn from her experience.
I set up a conversation on our class Facebook page two weeks ago, asking people whether they had concerns about attending the reunion. If you haven't seen the comments, I suggest you take the time to read them, even if you're not on Facebook. Many people honestly express their concerns, some now saying they won't attend, some suggesting that we postpone until next year.
I'm not ready to wave the white flag just yet. As a public health professional in the final role in my professional career before I retired, I'm looking at what reasonable precautions we can take to hopefully have a safe experience. We'll have a better idea in another month, but at this time I am proceeding with plans and continuing to take reservations and payments, with this one new requirement for attending the reunion that many businesses are requiring of their employees:
You'll have to provide one of the following at the October 9 Saturday evening event:
- Evidence of current, full vaccination, OR
- Evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken 72 hours before the event.
At this time, masks will still be a personal choice, and I encourage people to wear a mask without fear of reprisal. However, we will comply with California and Riverside County health department requirements in effect at the time of the reunion. I will offer full refunds to those who have already paid and subsequently decide not to attend if I'm notified no less than one week in advance of the main event (i.e., by October 1).
Notice that I am not requiring vaccinations - that is a personal choice, and plenty of people have shared their opinion with me. However, as members of the Ramona Class of 1970 community who desire to gather together and enjoy a shared experience, each of us has a responsibility to show concern and care for the most vulnerable in our group. If you believe this is asking too much, you're still welcome to join us at our other primarily outdoor activities that weekend, especially the Sunday picnic at Fairmount Park.
So as a reminder, ticket prices for the Saturday October 9 reunion event go up after September 1. The schedule of all events - including the Friday picnic (still sponsored by the Class of 1971) - is available at our (50 + 1)-year reunion page.
Again, welcome to any new subscribers who joined this email list in response to receiving the reunion invitation in the mail! Feel free to explore the Ramona Class of 1970 website, and let me know if you have any questions, particularly dealing with anything I discussed in this email. Thanks!
Steve
505-660-0353
ps - the current RSVP list is updated periodically, and I thank everyone who has responded, especially if you're not attending. Check to see if your name is on the list, and let me know if you want me to add your name, or move it from one category to the other.
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