To Go or Not To Go. . .That is the Question

As time draws near, many classmates are thinking, "Why do I want to go to a reunion?  No thanks!"  Often, we think back on the time when we couldn't wait to walk out those high school doors one last time and NEVER have to go back again.
First of all, it was 15 years ago. 
15 years!
All of our lives have changed.  That's what happens with time.  (Heck, I've got five kids!). 
We all had good times and bad times, and lived in the teenage world of reality.  But today, we aren't teenagers we are adults in all walks of life.  We are part of communities and families.  We are contributors to society.
Thanks to the world of social media we pretty much know what everyone looks like and what's going on in their lives.  So, why go?  One thing social media lacks in is that tangible hug, hand shake, genuine smile and actual voice from a conversation.  No Facebook poking, instant messaging, or texting.  A real, face to face, conversation.  A time to make new pictures to post to your media world!
It's a time to face your fears of the past and find that even though it's people from the high school years, we are all on the same playing field this time around.  It's time to reconnect, forgive, apologize, forget, and most importantly laugh at all things that just don't matter anymore except for those amazing friendships we developed.
There is always "that risk" deciding to go, but there's always the risk of having the "what if's" if you don't go.  Let's be risk takers and not suffer from the "what if's!"
I look forward to seeing as many who can come and want to come.  A fun weekend to take a little blast to the past and then go our merry ways until the next time around.

With that, I leave you with one little memory of all us Seniors standing in the center of the basketball court, holding hands, raised above our heads and singing this:

Tell me you don't sing along! 

See you at the reunion.

Get Your Tickets!

Reminder:  The ticket deadline is drawing near to reserve your meal and discounted prices to park and get into the ball game.  The deadline is OCTOBER 10th.

Also, the school/Alumni Club has offered us a discount on our gate admission to the game.  On the parking, if you do not have your ticket receipt you will have to pay the standard price.  Who likes to pay full price?  Not me!  I think we all love a good deal, so take advantage of this opportunity!

We hope to see you there!

Physical invites can be picked up at the high school, CVMS or RMS to give to those who do not access the internet often or have a Facebook page.

Happy Day!

Whoo-hoo!!!!  Parking for our Alumni on Homecoming Night (that would be our reunion)  OCTOBER 17th is $1.  It's not free but it's better than the regular parking fee.  Thank you to our fellow classmate Scott H. for making this happen.

Can't wait to see everybody!!!!

Deadline Update

The deadline for purchasing your tickets is OCTOBER 10th. 

We strongly encourage you to purchase your tickets in advance. 

Ticket Info--PLEASE READ

On the right hand side of this page you will find the Reunion Ticket tab.  This is a quick and simple way to pay online (completely secure) and make everyone's life easier. 

If you have any concerns or questions we will try to cover them here:

Q: What if I don't want to pay online?
If you do not want to pay online and choose to pay by check/cash you can do so by mailing or taking your money to Ridgeland High School and give your money to the Alumni Head (they will know who that is at the front desk and tell you who you need to make out your check).

Q: What if I don't want to go to the football game but still attend the Reunion Dinner?
Where our party is being setup is within the gates of the football area.  By policy, every person must pay to get through the gate.  We have arranged with the athletic department and RHS Alumni Association to give us a discount on the tickets for the game, which has been included already in the price of your Reunion Ticket. 
The Alumni has reserved a portion of seats for our Class of '99 Alumni for those who do plan to go and watch the game from the bleachers.  However, our party will take place in an area where you can still watch the game away from the bleachers.  This will allow families with small children to run around and still visit.  So, if this option is for you bring some chairs or picnic blankets and tailgate through the game!

Q:  What if I paid but then unable to attend? 
Please note that your money is NON-REFUNDABLE.  There has been many man hours put into planning the reunion at no cost and the tickets have been priced to cover the bare minimum to make this event a success.  We understand that this may be an inconvenience but this helps prevent any particular person left to foot the bill from things already purchased.

Q:  Do I need a football ticket separately?
Your ticket will cover your entrance to the football game on Friday night.  Please hold on to your invoice/receipt to show verification for your entrance to the game that evening.  You have to enter to get to the Reunion venue.

Q:  What all does my ticket cost cover?
Your ticket will cover all your cost for Friday night and Saturday night events.  This includes: gate entrance, food, setup/serving cost. . .essentially the basics.  We are keeping it simple with no extra "froo-froo", but don't worry, it will still be awesome!

Prices for Adults (ages 13+) are $15.00 each, Child (ages 4-12) are $12.00, and children 3 and under are FREE.

Q: I cannot attend Friday but want to go on Saturday, do I still need to purchase a ticket?
You do not have to purchase a ticket on Saturday but  we will welcome a small donation towards appetizers. :) This will be a casual evening for adults to come and go as you would like.  Drinks and food can be purchased individually at the Big River Grille.  Though, we hope many can attend both evenings we understand this is not always possible which is why we planned two nights and look forward to seeing you at least on one of the evenings!

Q: Does is cost to park?
On Friday night, YES you will have to pay for parking.  We are trying to work with the athletic department with obtaining a discount.  We will keep everyone updated if this changes.  For Saturday, it's downtown Chattanooga, leaving each to his own.  The Bijou parking deck is the closest area to park but there are many options to park ranging from FREE to $10.  This is not covered by the reunion.

Q:  Who all can attend?
Most importantly, ALL RIDGELAND HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF '99 ALUMNI.  We welcome their families/significant other/spouses on Friday night for a fun tailgating atmosphere.  On Saturday we encourage the alumni and a guest, if they would like.  The Big River Grille bar and billiards area is limited on space and not set up for children.


Q:  What is the deadline for purchasing tickets in advance?
Currently there is no deadline for the tickets but we will post that soon.  It will likely be one week before the date.

Q:  What if I decide to attend the Reunion dinner Friday night after the deadline?
If you are an alumni of '99, we will let you eat but it will cost $18 per ticket to cover the out-of-pocket expenses from the committee.  We strongly encourage you to purchase your tickets early!

If you have any other questions please feel free to comment here or on our Facebook page and one of the committee members will get back with you.

Welcome, Welcome!

Hello fellow RHS c/o 1999 classmates! 
We are excited about our 15 year reunion in less than 2 months.  We look forward to seeing old friends, meeting their families, eating good food, and having a good time.


You can find the info you need here and at our Facebook page linked on the right side of this blog.