By Sue Moore
Schoolcraft native Sue Hendriksma has been working hard to bring the Schoolcraft Alumni Association together since she returned to live in the village. She has seen the executive committee intensify its efforts for the last several years to build a scholarship fund for deserving seniors.
The fund will award a total of $4,500 to six students at the annual alumni association banquet held on Saturday, June 23 at the high school cafeteria. “By creating several new giving opportunities coupled with several new social opportunities for alumni, we have increased our ability to give these scholarships,” Hendriksma said. In 2017, the association awarded $5,500 in scholarships after only offering total amounts between $250 and $800 in the years before. “It was exciting for everyone involved, and particularly exciting for the six students who benefitted last year,” she noted.
At the banquet, the scholarship recipients will be announced. There will be a short program following the dinner. This annual event celebrates the current year graduates of Schoolcraft High School and honors the class celebrating its 50th anniversary. Anyone who attended or graduated from Schoolcraft Schools is cordially invited to attend.
“More 50-year reunions are being held in conjunction with the Annual Banquet now as well. The Class of 1967 had over 20 people at the banquet last year, and we’ll see if the Class of 1968 can beat that this year,” Hendriksma pointed out.
The banquet will be held in the Schoolcraft High School Cafeteria with social hour at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. It’s a potluck, so attendees are asked to bring a generous dish to share. Table service, coffee and punch are provided. Those people who graduated in 2018 or 1968 may choose to bring a dish or just sit back and enjoy the party, she said. A fee of $10 per person will be collected to support the costs of mailings and events, and there will also be a short business meeting after the program.
Members of the Alumni Association Executive Committee include Judy Shelley Oliphant, Aaron Beery, Sue Bates Hendriksma, Bryon Balch, Betsy Rice, and Renae Budrow Schug. The Association encourages people to invite classmates, family, and fellow alumni to attend also! Put the Alumni Association Banquet on your calendar now for June 23!