Dear EPHS61Classmates ,
Your EPHS 60th Reunion planning committee met Wednesday night. The main order of business for that meeting was the recent uptick in Covid-19 infections. Understandably, many who have already registered and paid to attend the reunion have been asking if we will be proceeding as planned. The committee has been meeting via Zoom over the past eighteen months and developed an outstanding agenda of activities and venues. Our headquarter hotel was to be the newly refurbished Hotel Paso del Norte. We were all looking forward to this outstanding and memorable reunion as our class size continues to diminish each year.
Our discussion was very thorough. We heard a report that the virus that inflicts Covid-19 is still very transmissible and now has a series of variants that are even more transmissible but still have unknown implications. Fully vaccinated people, even though they may or may not exhibit symptoms, are capable of carrying and transmitting the virus. Our age demographic is particularly vulnerable so extreme caution is advised. Eight months following vaccination, the protection against infection begins to wane so booster shots are now being recommended to those at high risk.
Taking all these factors into consideration, the committee decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to cancel the 60th reunion scheduled for October 7-10, 2021. We know that this is very disappointing news however everyone’s safety is our foremost concern. It would be catastrophic if one of our classmates succumbed to Covid-19 as a result of attending this reunion.
Subsequent to the decision, the committee promptly moved to reschedule the reunion to October, 2022. Specific dates will be announced soon. This technically will be our 61st reunion, which would be appropriate for the Class of ’61. We will try to keep the agenda the same as well as the fee. So there should be no significant changes other than it will be one year later.
Once again, we sincerely apologize for this news and the inconveniences it may have caused. We guarantee 61/61 will be an outstanding class reunion next year and very much look forward to you (and your guest) joining us.
Stay healthy and well,
Your El Paso High School Class of 1961 Reunion Planning Committee