(Editor’s note: As a tribute to Roncalli’s 50th anniversary, we are reposting this article with a reminder of Roncalli’s 50 Year Celebration Dinner on Sept. 19)
By Nancy Price
Roncalli High School officially kicked off a celebration of the school’s 50-year history with a family-friendly summer social.
Kids jumped around on bounce houses, cooled off with Slip N Slides and sat for face paintings. Families chowed down on dinner available at various food trucks while listening to a Rebel5ive podcast and live music from MIXTAPE, a local 90s party band.
“We had about 400 people in attendance,” said Terese Carson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Roncalli High School. “There were some kickball games on the softball diamond. Lots of giveaways. About 200 T-shirts were ‘flown into the air’ from our T-shirt launcher. The weather was perfect, and the evening culminated in fireworks at 10 p.m. Our guests ranged in age from babies to one guest whom was over 90 years old. It was truly a generational event. Some families had three generations of alumni in attendance.
The evening began with mass in the Roncalli gymnasium, led by Father Douglas Hunter, Roncalli’s new chaplain coordinator. Fr. Hunter, a graduate of Cardinal Ritter High School, has also served as pastor at St. Roch Catholic Church for the past year. In addition, he is the chaplain for the Indianapolis Colts.
The school’s next event will be a 50 Year Celebration Dinner on Sept. 19. “We are also releasing a weekly podcast (which started in April) to highlight those whom have made such a significant impact on our school community,” Carson said. “Our students have a special uniform shirt to signify our 50 years. Everything we do this year will focus on our 50th birthday! Our new gymnasium is set to open in October. There is much to celebrate this year!”
For more information about upcoming events, visit 50.roncalli.org.
