The Parkland High School Class of 1975 held its 50th reunion Oct. 11 at Madeline’s Restaurant, Fogelsville.

The class graduated with about 500 students, and the reunion took nearly a year to plan.

After skipping 2020, classmates reunited in 2021 and again this year to celebrate the milestone.

Seventy-eight graduates attended, along with 17 guests, for a total of 95 attendees.

Some began the weekend at Parkland’s Homecoming game Oct. 10, followed by a nostalgic visit to Hops at the Paddock.

The classes of 1973-1976, led by Bill Bryan, also hosted a golf outing at Shepherd Hills that drew about 20 additional classmates.

About half of the guests traveled from out of town, coming from England, Spain, Portugal, New Jersey, California, Texas, South Carolina and Florida.

Each attendee received a commemorative mug filled with Josh Early nonpareils.

The evening, which featured a dinner and cash bar, began with a warm welcome and several announcements from the reunion committee.

Mariellen Ochs introduced the planning team, which included Kathy Torok Molinari, Maryann Peischl and an IT coordinator.

Vanessa Bauman Vercusky was recognized for her ongoing efforts to keep classmates connected and for maintaining memorial updates for those who have died, including former class adviser and art teacher Bob Beitler. Attendees also remembered Terry German, a beloved former teacher who recently died at age 88.

The committee thanked Tom Roberts for his thoughtful Facebook post addressing comments about the reunion venue, noting this was his first reunion.

Looking ahead, organizers said they are considering more casual gatherings in future years and invited classmates to share feedback through a questionnaire on the class website.