Niagara-Wheatfield alumni from 'Bicentennial Class of 1976' donating $3,300 to school's Family Support Center

Submitted

The Niagara-Wheatfield Family Support Center has an extra $3,300 to further its mission of serving families in need in the school district. The money was donated by alumni from the NW Class of 1976, which recently celebrated its 50th year reunion.

The donated funds will primarily be used to support the district's efforts to help families with basic needs.

“This donation will ensure we can keep our shelves full and reach more families than ever,” said Kara Kirk, the Family Support Center coordinator. “September saw record numbers of families accessing our grocery and hygiene pantry, which is called ‘Helping Hand.’ These funds provide me with much relief to know we can keep things going strong for our families.”

The NW Family Support Center is a partnership between families, schools, and community-based agencies to serve the people of the NW Central School District. Services include linkage to family and individual counseling, support groups, prevention and treatment for substance abuse, and emergency services. The NW Family Support Center also provides access to necessities such as hygiene products, groceries, dog and cat food, and gently used clothing.

The host committee from the “Bicentennial Class” set out to raise money simply to keep the event tickets at an affordable level. Even after providing a hotel dinner event on Sept. 26 that was attended by 175 alumni, spouses, and honored teachers from the 1970s – including all related expenses – the committee found itself with leftover funds.

“The fundraising we did went far beyond our expectations,” said Lisa Lariccia, a leader of the class’s host committee. “First, it enabled a reasonable ticket price of $40 for a really fun Saturday night out. And when people found out that we intended to provide the excess to the Family Support Center, it made them feel like they were even more connected to our high school. The generosity found in our ‘Spirit of ‘76’ really came through.”

Honored guests at the Saturday night dinner event (at the Crowne Plaza Riverside hotel on Buffalo Avenue) were former teachers and administrators Armand Cacciatore, William Fekete, Bruce Fraser, Betty Gerlach, Dennis Matteson, Pauline Pucak, Bruce Strassburg and Jack Touchette. In an “in memoriam” segment of the evening program, the recently deceased William L. Ross, retired assistant principal and director of athletics, was honored posthumously.

The reunion included a tour of the high school – in particular, the new construction that has transformed the school in significant ways. Leading the group of about 70 members of the Class of ’76 was the Niagara Wheatfield Central School District Superintendent Daniel G. Ljiljanich. He remarked it was the largest group he’d ever led on a tour of the school.

The alumni also watched the NW Falcons boys’ varsity football team play at home Sept. 25 in a thrilling 12-8 victory over Frontier High School (Hamburg). A pregame party at Dave’s Last Chance (Saunders Settlement Road) and post-game party at Mr. M’s House of Food & Drink (Hyde Park Boulevard), as well as a competitive round of golf at Hyde Park Golf Course, rounded out the activities.