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In an inspiring blend of old-school spirit and 21st Century tech, the Miami Killian Senior High School Class of 1975 is making history with what’s poised to be the school’s largest 50-year class reunion.
Scheduled June 12-14, more than 200 attendees representing 20 states from coast-to-coast will descend on the Miami Marriott Dadeland Hotel to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime milestone
“We wanted this to be more than just a dinner,” said reunion chair Doug Traub. “We wanted it to be unforgettable. And we built it ourselves — with sweat equity, love, and 1975 Cougar pride.”
The 16-member Reunion Board harnessed technology their teenage selves could never have imagined — and more than 7,000 man hours — to reach out to more than 600 classmates and make it happen. A private Facebook group was launched, now with 268 classmates-only sharing memories and updates daily. Vintage photos and current snapshots are posted side-by-side, forming a vibrant digital scrapbook spanning decades.
Regular planning meetings and classmate outreach were conducted via Zoom, bringing board members together across time zones. Automated robocalls, email blasts, newsletters, and social media campaigns helped spread the word far and wide, while old- fashioned phone trees and word-of-mouth filled in the gaps. Classmate preferences were determined with online polls and elections.
The team tapped online people-finding services like LexisNexis, creatively cross referenced with wedding announcements, obituaries, and even public alumni lists, to locate hundreds of long-lost Cougars. Sadly, the deaths of many classmates were discovered in the process, but they will be honored with online obituaries in the digital Memory Book and a Memorial Room at the reunion with information about each person.
AI played a surprising role, too — used to design promotional graphics, create the cover for the Memory Book, and even rewrite key materials for clarity and brevity. Hotel bids were solicited through automated distribution services offered by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, ultimately securing the Marriott Dadeland as the event venue. More than 1,000 classmates were eventually collected in an online database.
Headline events and heartwarming highlights:
• Three nights of celebrations, each led by classmate performers — including a live Motown band, a professional deejay, and an original class anthem with a music video.
• Over 240 classmates submitted bios to a 250-plus page digital Memory Book that will be full of photos and delivered to more than 600 classmates on July 10.
• Nostalgic trips are scheduled to Dadeland Mall and Killian High via charted yellow “cheese wagons” (school buses).
• Tributes to 176 deceased classmates, alongside award ceremonies honoring reunion legends and best ’70s outfits.
• Profiles of classmates like Ritchie Williams, who recently helped to land a spacecraft on the moon, and Julius Szalay, a Navy vet and touring musician.
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