Those Who Have Passed

As one of the collectors of information for this event, I've been asked by numerous people if we are going to have a time set aside in which to honor those classmates who are no longer with us.  Your committee has spent quite a bit of time discussing this by both e-mail and face to face, but have unanimously decided to not make a spectacle.  I've already shared a lot of the fears we have in doing this on FB such as accidentally leaving someone out or seeing "favoritism" towards those who were more well known than others.  Someone asked in the survey if we would be holding a slide show to feature those who have died.  Again, the fear of having loads of photos of Classmate A and only a yearbook photo of Classmate B leaves us believing it would be best to just honor all who have died with a moment of silence before the meal.  Still, there is an understandable curiosity of "just who has died" that seems to be out there, so I'm going to share the list I have via this blog page.  (I was afraid it would be tacky to just put it out there on FB).  Please keep in mind that this is the list THAT I KNOW OF.  If you see that there is someone you know who needs to be added to this list, please contact me.  There are still more than 100 classmates who are considered "missing", so this list could be incomplete:

Cari Allen
Jason Aubey
Shelly Blake
Keith Chapman
Jeremy Clamon
Denroy Clark
Mike Cole
Jerry Cook
Mishelle Garrett
Dora Garzoria
James Guyer
Richard Hemminger
Kristi McLean
Valerie Sandlin
Cicely Wilson

Menu for the Reunion 06-25-2011

FIESTA THEMED DINNER BUFFET TWO ENTREES
Chips and Salsa
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Southwest Caesar Salad
Grilled Tender Beef Fajitas with Bell Peppers and Onions
Grilled Seasoned Chicken Fajitas with Bell Peppers and Onions
Warm Flour Tortillas, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Shredded
Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream
Refried & Charro Beans
Mexican Style Rice
Tres Leche
Caramel Cheesecake
Freshly Brewed Iced Tea
Iced Water
Freshly Brewed Regular and Decaffeinated Coffee
BAR PRICING:
Call Drinks @ $5.50 eachSky, Beefeater, Bacardi, CuttySark,
Jim Beam, Jose Cuervo Gold
Wine @ $5.50 eachCabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay,
and Sparkling
Domestic @ $4.50 eachBud Light, Budweiser, Miller Lite

Imported @ $5.00 each
Corona and Heineken

T-Minus 10 DAYS!!!

Hey '91 Rangers!

Only 10 days left until the reunion!! Tickets are still on sale. Also, you will be able to purchase tickets at the mixer at Dirty Bay on Friday, June 24, 2011, cash or check ONLY. Please make sure to contact us at RSS1991@yahoo.com if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you all there!!!

Inflation Has Finally Hit!

Well, to be fair to the folks who scrambled to pay before the May 15th deadline, we need to raise the ticket prices as promised.  Some of those folks told me they actually made some sacrifices to get their payment in on time and it wouldn't be cool if they did it for nothing.  We are almost at 100 tickets sold, which means we are almost two thirds of the way towards breaking even!  We still need to sell some tickets though, as I'd rather not have to pay for the last third myself!

One reason we set May 15th as a day to raise prices was to encourage people to pay early since we had to make a large payment to the hotel and we on the committee didn't want to have to dig up all that money out of our own pockets only to have to wait until the end of June to be repaid.  Another reason was to help judge what we can and can't do.  we delayed raising ticket prices because your committee was engaged in heavy talks about moving the venue of the mixer, possibly scratching the picnic, and possibly even replacing the DJ with Frank Kotlarz, a bottle of Boone's Farm and a karaoke machine. 

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and all is still on track.  We've also chosen to raise ticket prices only an extra ten dollars; however....if you are one of the 100 or so people who we were unable to contact and have JUST now learned about the reunion, please contact the committee through the www.rss1991@yahoo.com e-mail and we'll see what we can do.  There were also a few people who were having trouble getting the PayPal site to work properly, so if you are one of those people, please contact us.

The bottom line is that we want you there.  We will be sending out more info regarding the wheres and whens in the next week or so.  We'll also be asking ticket buyers to provide us with some info to help us plan the evening, so please help us out by responding with your opinion.  Finally, keep pestering your classmates.  We'd love to pack this place with old friends you know and the new ones you'll meet.  -Your Reunion Committee

options

single ticket $75.00 two tickets $150.00 Make a donation $20.00 Complete partial payment $33.00

How Can I Help?

We were starting to sweat it there for a while! After hearing in last summer's survey that everybody and their dog were planning on attending the reunion, we were sure it would be no problem to round up 150 people to share in the cost of a good time. We put the tickets up for sale and..... (crickets). Well, tickets have finally started to sell, but we are definitely facing the possibility of falling short of our goal.

Hearing this, some awesome things started happening. Some of you began beating the bushes and helping us flush out folks who either didn't know about the reunion or weren't sure they wanted to come. Others, knowing that we would be stuck with the remaining balance (which amounts to literally thousands of dollars), have asked how they can help with the shortage of funds and we didn't really have an answer.

I don't expect many folks to use this newest button, but for those who asked to help, here it is:

We've added a "donate" option in the drop down menu below. Maybe you've got summer plans that conflict with our date but still want to help out. It could be that you really don't want to attend but would like to support the event. Maybe you are rich beyond your means and are looking for a good place to unload your dough. Truth is, whatever your reason, if you'd like to help, we'd be glad to accept.

Unless you have access to a really crooked tax preparer, there isn't much we can do for you when it comes to classifying this as a charitable donation. Still, we will be certain to find a way to recognize those folks who have stepped up and helped us out in this way.

There's one last thing to add. If you have a local business that would like to help us out by either donating some door prizes (for the night of the dinner and dance) or offering us a jumper/moonwalk rental at an awesomely discounted rate (for the family picnic) or being willing to massage my feet and back (OK, I'm being selfish, I just got off work and that really sounds good) we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via rss1991@yahoo.com or give me (Mike Gill) a call at 832 722 6701. We'd be glad to put the name of your business in the spotlight during the event.

I'd hate to think of myself as desperate as these guys, but yes, we could sure use a hand. Thanks again for your continued help in making this something special. Looking forward to seeing you in June. - Your Reunion Committee

PS - If you change your mind after donating and decide to attend the event, we'll be glad to put the amount of your donation towards the cost of your ticket!

To donate, look at the post above. Thanks!

The List So Far....

Well, I have to say I was hoping my computer was going to blow up today with all the folks buying tickets, but it only got warm. Still, I'm happy to announce that our list of attendees is growing and shows potential to grow even more. Here's a list of the folks I have so far. I have a fair number of folks who have assured me they are planning on coming, and quite a few others who are actively helping to make it bigger by pestering their friends. I didn't list who's bringing a date and who isn't . Just trying to give you an idea of who I know has purchased tix. Again, if you haven't checked the list farther down this blog page, please do. There are a lot of names who have not been reached. Remember, don't wait too long to buy your tickets. The price will be going up on May 16th! Buy a ticket. Please don't make me resort to this! Hope to see you there. - Mike Gill

Dory Busby - Allen
Heath Romero
Jesse Flores
Erin Mendoza-Casteel
Clarissa Curry-Linck
Julie Villarreal
Lesley Bridges-Estes
Charles Stephens
BJ Smith-Gallegos
Veronica Valdez-Salmatanis
Caprille Capetillo-Aguero
Amy Peebles-Mayo
Tiffany Hines-Blackford
Michelle Hochstetler-Sifuentes
Charlotte Hoel
Lianna Ponder-Knight
Crissy Brookshire
Brendy Williams
Ann-Marie Updegraff-O'Callaghan
Stephanie Blaylock-Brunson
Carla Woods Vaughn
Darrell Pevoteaux
Mike Gill
Alison Witte-Beazley
Amanda Ball-Bilnoski
Keisha Bundage
William Brackin
Melissa Estrada
Donna Trail
Kim Read-Berthelot
Dedra White - Burdick
Amy Pennington
Pam Marsh
Greg Bridwell
Tedra Tubbs
Angel Chandler-Turney
Laura Oliver-Kennedy
Frank Kotlarz
Sandi Cockrell-Strickland
Sean Aguilar
Yvette Flores Stayman
Kevin Goulding
Kelli Cato-Going
Wendi Branch-Kaplan
Matt Parker
Crystal Littlejohn-Little
Tammie Hensley-Tousha
Brian Harris
Dedra Smith
Julie Gilbert-Smith
Cassie Banks-Childress
Jenny Weldon
Bryan Goode
Jason Martinez
Matt Albus
Ronald Romero
Jason Dizon
Angela Barron Downs
Tamara Hale
Thomas Peden
Whitney Rupp-Frawner
Grace Anne McKay
Wendy Bounds
Janci Alexander-Alfaro
Alfredo Alfaro
Megan Casey-Goodwin
Carey Young
Alex Valdez
Matt Marlow
Gina French-Provopulos
Kelsey Hathaway
Christy Gavin Hughes
Duane Stevenson
Dawn Porter Pridgeon
Jill Satterbak-Moody

If you do not see your name on this list and it should be here, please contact me so I can clear up any mistakes. Thanks!

Top Ten Reunion List

Here are the top ten reasons to buy a ticket for the RSS 1991 20 year reunion!

#10 A chance to spend the night at a downtown hotel for a reduced rate. The Crown Plaza is offering a $99 room rate for both Friday and Saturday night. Now you and your husband/wife/random cute person can have a romantic night away instead of sleeping on mom’s inflate-a-bed in a room that used to be yours.

#9 You can take advantage of the new Pay Now/Pay Later option. This allows you to make a payment towards attending the reunion AND still have money to take your baby momma for dinner at Applebee’s.

#8 Witness the one time only showing of a big budget Hollywood-style movie featuring big name stars who will make you both laugh and cry. OK, so the only part of that which is true might be the word “movie” but we’ll try our best.

#7 Two words about the dance floor that you’ve been wanting to hear for 20 years…Milli Vanilli. Sure, they may have lost the Grammy, but they’ll always win over your heart.

#6 A family-style picnic at Jenkins Park with your kids. Come see what the guy who sat behind you in algebra II brought into the world and be glad it wasn’t with you.

#5 Autograph signings by Duane Stevenson. This guy once appeared on Deborah Duncan. Hey, he’s the closest thing we’ve got to Alan Green.

#4 A private party at one of Baytown’s finest drinking establishments. You know you want to drink from a place called “Dirty Bay”

#3 The big sing-a-long. Where else besides a Klan rally would you find a roomful of people that all know a song about Dixie. “It was the night, we drove old Dixie down….”

#2 Your heartfelt desire to not see Carla and I have to panhandle for money since we didn’t have a big enough turnout. Seriously, did we mention how much we’re going to have to pay if you guys don’t come….

And the #1 reason you should attend the RSS 20 year reunion…..

We’re $10 cheaper than the previous reunion…10 years ago!

PLEASE BUY A TICKET. THE PRICE GOES UP ON MAY 16th! IT’S NOT A REUNION WTHOUT YOU THERE!

Questions or comments, please call me or e-mail us:
Rss1991@yahoo.com or 832 722 6701.

You can buy a ticket (or ten) at RSS1991.blogspot.com

See you there! – Mike Gill