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In a survey of the Class of 1981 asking if they would attend our reunion this year in June 2021 63 percent said no and 90 percent said yes they would attend our reunion if rescheduled to the summer of 2022.

Based on these results, the AHS Class of 1981 40^th Reunion Planning Committee voted unanimously to reschedule our June 25-26 Class Reunion to summer 2022. Our preferred date is June 24-25, 2022 and we are confirming that this weekend is available at Gateway Center.

The survey was taken by 122 classmates. Survey results and comments included

1. Given the uncertainty of the pandemic, will you attend this year's Ames High Class of 1981 40th Reunion, June 25-26, 2021?   63.11% NO     36.89% YES

Would prefer to wait until next year- hopefully we’ll be past all of the uncertainty

I will have been vaccinated for Covid by mid April, so I have no problem attending this!

Still unsure but leaning towards No

I have received my second vaccine but not sure if everyone attending will have! Plus I don’t really want to attend on masks! I would prefer to wait until 2022!

With the variants and Europe’s numbers increasing I think it’s not a good idea.

2. Would you attend if a mask mandate in Ames/Story County is still enforced this summer?  61.54% NO   38.46% YES

I’m not a huge mask gal. This year is just as good as next, I guess. Probably more freedom next year.

It would be better to wait until next year than to have to wear masks on such an occasion as this.

Again, not a hard no, but it would definitely be more fun to get together without masks. It's so hard to have good conversations with masks and depending on the weather, potentially uncomfortable.

3. If the AHS Class of 1981 Reunion is rescheduled to the summer of 2022, would you attend? 90.98% YES  9.02% NO

Please postpone until next year to ensure safety for our reunion.

SO looking forward to this. But I want it to be when everyone is safe and feels fine about long distance travel and a group gathering of many. We're going to want to hug each other. :) I just feel much is still very uncertain in the next few months on safety of travel and large groups, spread of variants, vaccine penetration rates, etc. - a lot could happen or change for the worse or better still in the next 3 months. I hope we wait - to get the most people feeling good about being there safely.

A pdf and Excel file of the results may be viewed in Dropbox

We are offering a full refund for classmates who already registered and paid or those classmates may lock-in for 2022 by not asking for a refund and it will be transferred to our 2022 reunion.

Please send an email Angela & Laura  to let us know if:

1. You do not want a refund and would like your payment to rollover to the 2022 reunion

2. You want a refund. Please watch for your refund to go back to the credit card you paid with within 30-45 days.

Your reunion planning committee will continue to work to make our 40^th reunion now planned for 2022 the best it can be. Watch our website (www.ames1981.com) and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmesHigh1981 for updates and information. Be sure to update your profile on our website with changes to your email address and your mailing address.

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It takes a village to plan a class reunion! Our village--the Ames High Class of 1981 40th Reunion Planning Committee--started meeting in January 2020 and met monthly.

Lots of ideas and input went into planning our 40th reuninon beginning with reviewing classmate surveys from our 30th reunion. Most classmates who took that survey wanted our 40th reunion to be at a nicer venue with a sit-down dinner. They didn't want a DJ playing loud music, because we need to be able to talk to each other and hear our conversations. That wasn't even something we thought about during our 10th or 20th reunions!

Website registration for our June 25-26, 2021, reunion opened in November, and reunion planning meetings will continue after the holidays. 

We are looking for classmates who can volunteer to help during our reunion weekend doing little things like checking classmates into the events, setting up for our Sat dinner, distributing t-shirts that have been pre-ordered/paid, directing classmates during our activitie/tours and other easy duties that won't take you away from the fun of the reunion. Please email Angela Bendorf Jamison if you can volunteer a little of your time.

And if you get a chance, please thank these classmates who planned your Ames High Class of 1981 40th Reunion:

Brenda Vekre Emery

Cathy Woods

Michele Mercier Farnham

Jennifer Keller

Mark Hanson,

Deb Frye Tjelta

Tracy Kottman Wood

Scott Abel

Kristen Finn

Laura Lind

Lisa Ailshie

Sally Shaver DuBois

Diane Yoerger Bjorklund

Angela Bendorf Jamison