By Tyler Dahlgren

Ralston High School rang in the holidays with its annual Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Luncheon, a November tradition that’s filled this gymnasium with big laughs and warm hearts each of the last 20 years.

Turkey and fellowship. In Ram Country, those are the ties that bind.

“We’re very thankful that we have a community that supports our schools so well, particularly with this group, where we have senior citizens who have had their kids go through school and then they’ve left,” said superintendent Jason Buckingham, who visited with patrons and served all the best Thanksgiving fixings alongside Ralston staff. “A lot of times, it’s hard to really still be connected and supportive of the schools. This is just one of the ways we reach out to our community.”

There weren’t many empty spots, around tables in the gym or in the parking lot, where attendees received shuttle service to the school’s front doors if they needed it. There, they were greeted by a student “Rambassador”, who then provided an escort to the elevators or down the stairs to the event.

“I love seeing all the people and getting to know the community better,” said senior Rambassador Neida Cornejo. “People come from all over, and they tell us a little bit about their lives. I enjoy that part. Getting everyone together in one place and celebrating the holidays a little beforehand is nice.”

Director of Student Services Melissa Stolley called the luncheon one of the administrative team’s highlights of the year. It’s a chance to connect with each other and with the community, a rare occasion that bridges one generation to another.

“This brings a lot of joy to a lot of people, and we feel that joy too,” Stolley said. “And we get to do it together, which is really cool. We don’t always have that opportunity to do things together to give back.”

Guests are also provided with entertainment while they dine. Ralston’s Jazz Band kicked things off before the RUSH Show Choir performed. Boomer Radio DJ Dave Wingert was the guest emcee, and RPS preschoolers even decorated hand-crafted turkey placemats for guests.

“Look at the preschoolers, aren’t they precious?” said Donna Caniglia, pointing to the staircase while holding up the artwork at her table. “They did a great job making these. I thought that was so adorable.”

Caniglia and her husband Jeffery are Ralston through and through. She was born here, in the old hospital where the public library now sits, and has been in Ralston for nearly 80 years. She’s seen it grow from a village to a town to a city, and she’s extra proud on days like today.

“I love it,” Donna, whose maiden name is Nicola, said. “I really do. The kids are all so polite. They showed us where the elevator is and made sure we had a good seat to watch the entertainment, because we really enjoy watching the kids perform.”

In October of 2021, Ralston reaffirmed their community-wide commitment to education when they passed the Future Ready Bond Initiative. The district is grateful for that, Buckingham said, and views events like the Thanksgiving Senior Luncheon as giant opportunities to express that gratitude.

“A lot of the people here are alumni, their kids went here and their grandchildren go here, so it’s really fun to reconnect,” said Stolley. “When you’ve been in the district as long as many in our administration have been, it’s so much fun to hear about what graduates are off doing now. And what better way to give back than a meal and some entertainment?”

Lynn Murphy and Leslie Melichar are retired RPS paras with grandchildren in the district. Coming back and seeing the culture’s still strong is always a blast.

“We’re both former Ralston employees, and now we’re both senior citizens, which is kind of hard to say,” Murphy laughed. “You always want to be proud of where you live, and to be able to be around so many people who live in and love Ralston is nice. It’s fun to see all the students and it’s full service, which is pretty cool.”

Cornejo said it feels good to give back. Community is ingrained in Ralston Rams, and she would feel empty without these kinds of events. That’s why she became a Rambassador in the first place. Kyra Frease echoed her sentiment.

“Helping my community has been really fun,” Frease said. “Showing kindness in school and in the community and showing what you get to do for your school, that’s why I do it.”

The sheer history in the gym isn’t lost on the students, either.

“They were once roaming these halls, they’ve been around here for a long time and seeing all the generations come together is really cool,” said senior Kayleigh Tapio. “All of them are reconnecting and some are seeing each other for the first time in years. There’s a lot of stories being shared. That’s always fun to see and hear.”

The food drew rave reviews from the many patrons. Buckingham said the district’s great partnership with Sodexo helps to make the standing tradition possible, in addition to the Thanksgiving lunch that’s held the week prior at Karen Western Elementary, where Melichar worked as a para.

“My son went to Karen Western, then the middle school and high school, and each one was a community experience,” Melichar said. “Ralston Public Schools are very community-oriented. I just really liked it here.”

Buckingham said it’s important to the district to not only honor the history in the gym on days like today, but to utilize it. They can’t be the school district they strive to be without the people here today.

“The interactions are my favorite part, and, having done this for a while, coming back and seeing the same faces over and over again is fun,” Buckingham said. “I’ve got a couple of them that have their funny quips they’ll come up with every time we go to fill their water glass up. There is really so much valuable history here, whether it’s history of our school or our community or both, and we need to make sure we’re taking advantage of that.”

Turkey and fellowship, the ties that bind.

“Ralston’s always been about family,” said Donna Caniglia. “What we’re doing today, this is the kind of thing we always did. It’s kind of like being young again.”