Before the new Plant City High School was built, area students attended what is now Tomlin Middle School for their high school career. They are part of a select group of 17 classes that graduated from 1956 to 1972.
Back then, they weren’t known as the Raiders.
They were the Planters — and proud of it.
To honor these students, a special committee formed to organize a massive combined class reunion. The event will be held from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. July 27, at the Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Building. Attendees will enjoy a choice of two entrée choices, and a deejay will spin music from the Planters’ high school years.
The committee includes Lynda Rogers Fuller, LaVerne Burkett Cribbs, Patsy Ballard, Sylvia Jordan Vaden and Barbara Coon Bennett.
With more than 3,300 people on the guest list, the committee still needs class representatives from the classes of 1964 and 1970. They also need someone from the Class of 1966 to step forward with a roster.
Faculty and staff, as well as those who attended the school but did not graduate as a Planter, also are invited.
The idea for the reunion started when Cribbs put together “The Last of the Planters Reunion,” a smaller event for the classes of 1969 to 1972.
Fuller took notice of the special reunion and thought it was a unique idea. She contacted Cribbs about putting together an even bigger event.
“She called me right in the middle of planning my reunion and I said, ‘Don’t even talk to me about that right now,’” Cribbs said, laughing. “But, when we got together, we thought it’d be a good idea.”
From there, they formed the committee to begin planning. The committee held its first meeting in August 2012.
Gathering a list of classmates from each year has been the first step — and a difficult one.
“Coming up with everybody’s names to contact has been the hardest part,” Vaden said.
Although the master list still is growing, save-the-date notices and registration forms already have been mailed to many Planters. Ballard has been taking care of sending the invitations. Although Ballard attended Turkey Creek High School, her husband, Jerry, was a Class of 1960 Planter.
“He says I’m part of the Plant City rehabilitation program,” Ballard said.
As secretary, she’s also in charge of keeping track of the RSVPs.
“I think the hardest part is now coming — tracking all the reservations and organizing,” Ballard said.
Ten local businesses have been helping with the committee’s reunion budget. With each registrant paying $40 for his or her reunion ticket, the cost of the event will be around $14,000, if 400 guests come.
The committee also has been busy putting together class tables with memorabilia and a slide show of photographs. If you would like to loan memorabilia, such as trophies and sports uniforms or send in your photographs for the slide show, contact Ballard, (813) 659-1240 or pgballard@tampabay.rr.com.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
ARE YOU A PLANTER?
If you would like to be placed on the list of Planters, please contact Linda Rogers Fuller, (813) 986-4844 or lynda.f@comcast.net; LaVerne Burkett Cribbs, (813) 659-1240 or mlcribbs@tampabay.rr.com; or Patsy Ballard, (813) 659-1240 or pgballard@tampabay.rr.com.