Update 9-20-05    

Hi,

A couple of good causes from a couple of former classmates -- or are we always classmates?  I still haven't worked that out.

From Jerrie Clamp Rachoi:  I know I have not been in contact since the 37th reunion, but I would like to let everybody know that I am doing a walk in honor of my beloved daughter Karen, who died on October 6, 2004 of Acute Myelogenious Leukemia at the age of 33.  She was diagnosed on July 3, 2004, two weeks before she was to be married.  I am also a survivor of the same terrible disease.  Why I survived and she didn't I will  never understand, but the walk is on September 24th at Little Bay Park in Bayside.  If anyone would like to walk or donate, please read the note that follows.  We have already raised over $7000.  The team name is For Our Dear Friend Karen, and the team captain is Carrie Cliggett.  The money will go for research and to help familles in need.  Thank you in advance.  Best regards to everyone

A quick follow-up from Carrie Cliggett:  Karen Rachoi was my dear friend, and I miss her more than anything.  When Karen passed away, I made a promise to her and myself to make sure that what happened to her has a meaning.  My goal is to raise funds for leukemia research and to help others who are suffering from this disease.  I will honor her life by making a once-a-year walk with family and friends.
    Please join our team or make a donation.  Here are two ways how to do this:
Join the team:  Log on to:  www.active.com/donate/ltnnewyor/ourdearfriendkaren  
Click on REGISTER TO WALK, then REGISTER on the top page.  The page will then ask BY ZIP or BY STATE.  Select BY STATE, then select LITTLE BAY PARK/CROSS ISLAND PKWAY.  Fill out all the required fields including your personal goal of how much money you would like to raise.  Leave the COMPANY section blank.  On the next page select I AM WALKING WITH A TEAM.  Scroll down to TEAM NAME:  FOR OUR DEAR FRIEND KAREN.  Select Team Captain:  Cliggett, Carrie.  Once you register, you will receive a walker collection envelope in the mail so you can begin your fundraising efforts.  Please contact me if you don't receive this envelope.  I can be reached by cell phone at:  516-318-4783 or e-mail at:  carriecliggett@yahoo.com
    If you prefer, you can make an online donation to support the team.  You can do this at:  www.active.com/donate/ltnnewyor/ourdearfriendkaren
    Thank you so very much.  I look forward to meeting many of you on September 24th!

And from Barbara Blitfield Pech:  It’s that time of year again -- Think Pink.
    October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, although as an eight-year survivor and third generation breast cancer patient, I know that breast cancer isn't choosey about the month, time, age, or person that it picks to invade and threaten the life of.  I have also learned that the disease is not a death sentence.  It no longer demands the removal of a breast, chemo, radiation, hair loss, mental or good physical health.  It is not only curable, but most certainly offers many options for quick and full recovery and continued long, cancer-free life after treatment.  I have been a proud affiliate and mentor of the Susan G. Komen Foundation and 5K Race For The Cure participants for many years.
    I am writing to you, dear friends, to ask for your financial support and sponsorship in the October 15th race in Miami.  Any financial pledge is a mitzvah -- a good deed -- and will be most certainly welcomed and appreciated.  Please make your checks out to:  KOMEN RACE FOR THE CURE, and send them to my home address:  7020 SW 127th Court
Miami, Florida  33183-2406
    Race results and photos will be online, as in years past.  I will graciously share the web site with you so you can see the 1000s of survivors your pledge helps, who walk, run, and are wheeled amongst the 11,000 participants who make the Miami run each year to end breast cancer in our life time.  It is though our donations that research, clinical trials, and free mammograms can be made available to save lives and to make the threat of breast
cancer virtually unknown in the lives of our children, grandchildren, and all who live after us.
Thank you and Pink Hugs.

In addition, an unrelated note from Barbara, just in:  As Hurricane Rita approaches, it's starting to cool off and get a bit breezy, perhaps a tease and prelude to what is expected later.  Assuming that all is on course, you are officially invited to attend my bi-monthly indoor pool party, to be held in the atrium great room -- formerly the central living space in "The Pech Palace."  A light lunch and formerly frozen snacks will be served just prior to the full defrost.  Due to probable power outages, cooking will be limited to what can be put on the barbecue.  Swim wear not provided, nor are mops or buckets.  R.S.V.P not necessary, though dock space is limited to availability and street navigations.  Also note:  laughter only accepted from the Northern contingency IF I can reply in kind when you are shoveling snow in January.  At that time, my note will be written from the outdoor pool as I bask in retribution.
    Windy hugs to all.

[Rich -- related:  my friends in Key West have just evacuated for the second time in as many years.  This time, they drove to West Palm Beach rather than Orlando, followed by their son and daughter-in-law in a second car.  Still, none of them admit to missing winter in central Pennsylvania.]

From Emily Kleinman Schreiber:  A couple of things:  First, Al Raitano asked me to tell all of you that he will be performing Sunday night at the San Genero Festival in New York.  I saw him perform last year at the festival, and he was fantastic.  Further information on the entire festival at:  http://www.sangennaro.org/free.htm
     Second, there's going to be a 50-year celebration of South High School on March 11th 2006.  Since our class will be celebrating our 45th anniversary reunion in '06, our reunion committee has been pondering the possibility of doing both during the same week.  Here are the options:  A -- Have our reunion at the same time.  B -- Have a mini-get-together as we did several years ago in Central Park.  C -- Have our reunion in October as we have done before.  In any case, we'd also like to have our "neighboring" classes included in the festivities, which is why I'm giving you early notice.

And some notes that have been sitting in my computer for a couple of weeks:

From Marsha Churnin Soroka:  Sorry I was unable to make the reunion this year.  We have relocated to Florida and Atlantic City.  Thankfully, we are not in Florida just now.  We're in Atlantic City, having lots of fun here, gambling away our children's inheritance.

From Larry Rugen:  For years, our traveling was limited, with the kids and other family matters.  Now that we can, my wife and I both want to travel more.  Our next big trip will be in September 2006 – another United States Air Force reunion, this time at the Peaceful Valley Ranch in Lyons, Colorado, seventy miles northwest of Denver.  That will last four days, and the week before we'll visit Las Vegas and some national parks – Zion, Bryce and Arches.  We both cannot wait to go on a cruise again, and I look forward to our next trip back to Europe.

[Rich -- That was in answer to my note asking about Larry's next trip -- which was in response to a link Larry sent to the photos of his recent Alaskan trip.  Unfortunately, I can't pass that link on directly because AOL is weird, and I had some trouble looking at the pictures.  But if you want to see some neat shots of Larry and his wife in Alaska, please write him.]

From Helen David:  Zelda White Nichols' note about the fires near San Diego, reminded me why we moved to Arizona.  We are not in fire-prone country to the best of my knowledge, just hot, hot, hot desert -- and our air conditioning went out last night.  Still, we didn't dare complain.  We had food, ice water, our own beds, and fans.

From Booker Gibson:  I'm still excited about your Saturday night reunion -- almost as excited as Ira and Rachael Robinson Mitzner.  I've shown the group pictures to all my friends where I play piano, plus to my family.  To Lynn Nudelman Villagran:  I also had a great time seeing Peter Panzarino.  He was once pretty mad at me for not letting him ride the Coolettes bus home from a football game.  Then, I felt guilty about it, but now he says, "He was wrong."  It kind of reminded me of giving students "Ds" and hating myself afterwards!

From Peter Panzarino:  I have to thank Lynn Nudelman Villagran for the compliment.  I'm a late-bloomer, and it is only in my mid-life years that I am learning the meaning of Carpe Diem.
    Also, although, most of the people in your class are little-known or unknown to me, I feel a kinship through the South connection.  Valley Stream in the '60s was a pretty good place to grow up.  I think most of us realize that!

Reunion follow-up to come.  Honest.