Lind-Ritzville Alumni Banquet canceled

RITZVILLE — The annual Lind-Ritzville alumni banquet, scheduled for each Memorial Day weekend, has been canceled.

This year’s banquet would have celebrated alumni celebrating 25-year, 50-year and 75-year graduates, as well as 2020 graduates.

Lind-Ritzville High School Alumni President Colby Schell said the decision wasn’t made lightly.

“It is with great regret that the Alumni Board has decided to cancel our 2020 Alumni Banquet because of COVID-19,” Schell said, noting the board is planning a double banquet for Memorial Day weekend next year, on May 29, 2021.

This year’s banquet would have been the 115th year for the re-union.

“It’s only been canceled one other time in recent history — the year Mount St. Helens blew,” Schell said. “I was a freshman in high school and we didn’t return to school for the rest of the year.

“It’s interesting: the 10-year reunion alumni who would have been honored in 1980 are the same 50-year reunion alumni who won’t be honored this year.”

Marilyn Sielaff said she believes the reunion, which began in 1905, may also have been canceled during World War II.

Schell encourages anyone who still wants to send in donations to specify which fund they would like to donate to. The alumni association will still award scholarships to the class of 2020; even if graduation is delayed.

“We still have financial obligations throughout the year such as our website fees and mailbox fees,” Schell said. “And we are scanning the photo composites that used to hang in the high school, as they are starting to deteriorate and we are trying to preserve them.”

Anyone with questions, they can contact Schell at 509-660-1072.

“We look forward to having a large banquet next year, and hope to see you all there,” Schell said.