Joe Salvucci is gearing up for his high school reunion, but he'll catch up with more than just his own class.
The 10 graduating classes from Fox Chapel High School from the 1970s will gather on Friday at 6 p.m. at PEAK Technical at RIDC Park-North in O'Hara Township.
Salvucci, a member of the class of 1974, said the idea for a joint reunion came after some classes in previous years couldn't organize their own reunion and asked to piggy back on others. As planning progressed for this year's event, organizers found that classes from outside the decade would be represented as well.
“We have a category of invitees that are anybody who went to Fox Chapel who wants to come,” he said.
By bringing multiple classes together, attendees can visit with friends from outside their own class that they otherwise might not get to see.
“When you have a single class reunion, you really aren't able to get together with your whole football team or your whole wrestling team or your whole track team,” Salvucci said.
Cathy Zacher Lombardi, a member of the class of 1974, has deep ties to the school with her husband and children also part of the Fox Chapel community. The reunion will be a chance for her to see old friends.
“We know so many people and it's nice to have something like this where everyone from out of town comes in to see everybody,” Lombardi said.
Lombardi said she also is looking forward to the musical performances scheduled. Nieds Hotel Band, Sweet Breeze and The Marcels will serenade the crowd that night.
It can be rewarding to see where life has led former classmates, Salvucci said.
“It's kind of interesting — how predictable where they ended up at, like how successful they've become and so forth,” he said.
Reunions can be a chance for people who have lost touch to reconnect too, Salvucci said.
“There are all kinds of interesting people that come back to these things. You just never know,” Salvucci said.
Tom McGee is an associate editor for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-856-7400, ext. 1513 or tmcgee@tribweb.com.
