Florida beckons Valley residents to break winter woes
Among the more than 150 former and current Mon Valley residents enjoying the 2015 Mon Valley Florida Day festivities were Lee Metz, seated, and standing, left to right, Sandra Griffith Anden, Ed Metz, Carole Griffith Brzostowski, Kathy Griffith Underwood and Dave Metz. The Griffith sisters are natives of Allenport, while the Metz brothers grew up in North Charleroi. All are graduates of Charleroi High School.
Dr. John Hisiro addresses the crowd at the 2015 Mon Valley Florida Day gathering at Cody’s Original Roadhouse in Clearwater, Fla.
It’s still a month away, but anticipation is running high for the annual Mon Valley Florida Day reunion.
The traditional event will be held Feb. 27, at Cody’s Original Roadhouse, 26200 U.S. 19 North, in Clearwater, Fla., and organizers are looking forward to surpassing the success of past gatherings.
“Maybe it’s the weather up there (Western Pennsylvania). People must be thinking about the sun and fun in Florida,” said Dr. John Hisiro of Fallowfield Township, who is leading preparations for the 2016 reunion with his wife, Carol.
“We’ve been getting calls and emails, a ton of inquiries as to where and when it will be held. It looks like we’re going to have another capacity crowd, and then some,” Hisiro said.
The Mon Valley Florida Day is one of three similar events that bring together former area residents now living in the Sunshine State as well as those who still live here and elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania.
The annual Bellmar Reunion for graduates of the former Bellmar High School will take place Feb. 25 at the Bijou Café Sarasota and Feb. 26 at Marina Jack’s II in downtown Sarasota. Meanwhile, the Washington County-Florida Reunion is set for Feb. 11 at Homer’s Original Smorgasbord in Sebring.
More than 150 people attended the 2015 Mon Valley Florida Day gathering last February at Cody’s.
They represented towns from throughout Florida, the Mon Valley and other places around the United States.
Hisiro said this year’s event, which will begin at noon, will follow the popular format of past reunions.
A graduate of Charleroi Area High School, Hisiro emphasized it is a rather informal affair to “bring together people with ties to the Mon Valley” for reminiscing in a casual atmosphere. It is open to “anyone and everyone” originally from the Mon Valley who still lives there or anywhere else.
“There are no geographic boundaries,” he said. “We all share a common bond – that is, our roots are in the Mon Valley, so the doors are open to anyone who wants to attend. It’s nothing fancy, just a chance to get together and rekindle a lot of great memories and create new ones. There won’t be any long speeches but you can be sure there won’t be a shortage of stories to be told.”
Additional information is available by calling Hisiro at 724-809-9344.
Hisiro recalled the Mon Valley Florida Day concept was created 34 years ago by three former Monongahela area businessmen Joe Fida, Lee Venanzi and Ralph Losey.
They were initially held at Fida’s home in Largo. The largest crowd to attend was 270 several years ago.
The reunions were highly successful for a number of years before going into hiatus.
They were revived by Lou Sepe and his wife, Marie, Monongahela High graduates and residents of Dunedin and a group of others originally from or still in the Mon Valley and Western Pennsylvania.
“Lou and Marie did an outstanding job of organizing and staging the reunions and we’re hoping to perpetuate the tradition they established,” Hisiro said.
The fifth annual Bellmar Florida Reunion will begin Feb. 25 with a reception at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. at the Bijou Café in Sarasota. The opening night festivities will culminate with attendance at a concert by the legendary Beach Boys at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center.
On Feb. 26 the Bellmar group will enjoy a luncheon cruise beginning at noon from Marina Jack’s II.
The Bellmar event is not limited to Bellmar graduates, said John Camino, a 1965 BHS graduate and project manager for the gathering.
“We do have some non-Bellmar attendees. There are no restrictions,” said Camino, a resident of the Sarasota suburb of Lakewood Ranch. “We certainly would welcome some Belle Vernon Area graduates and earlier Bellmar alumni in the future.”
The reunion was initiated five years ago when Camino, George Curry and Rich Glasgow had lunch, planned on attending a Pittsburgh Pirates exhibition game and then an early dinner.
“We have continually expanded our mailing list and the attendance continues to grow,” Camino said. “It’s easy to get people to come to Florida in the winter. Many of our core group vacation or live in Florida seasonally or year-round. The group remains very close to its roots. Some of us attended kindergarten together. We have a good time.”
Camino said the Beach Boys concert is sold out but reservations are still being accepted for the Feb. 25 dinner and the Feb. 26 luncheon cruise. He has more information at jacamio@aol.com.
The Washington County-Florida Reunion will begin at 10 a.m. Feb. 11 at Homer’s Original Smorgasbord at 1000 Sebring Square in Sebring.
Jean Bannister, secretary-treasurer of the organizing committee, said the early start will “give us time to visit with friends” before lunch and the program. Cost will be $10 per person, which includes a partial gratuity due to an increased cost of the meal. A brief business meeting will follow lunch. More information is available at 1-330-416-9669 or Guyban@aoil.com.