Walking into the Florida Strawberry Festival Expo Hall Saturday was like taking a trip back in time as 17 Plant City Senior High School classes took part in the first ever Planters Reunion.
Before the new Plant City High School was built, area students attended what is now Tomlin Middle School for their high school years. That location graduated 17 classes, from 1956 to 1972, holding the nickname the “Planters,” the school’s mascot before being changed to the current Raiders nickname.
More than 650 people attended the reunion, with groups representing each of the 17 classes. In addition to spouses and other guests, several former faculty members from the era also attended.
The night was filled with reminiscing, as each class had a display of keepsakes, including letter jackets, yearbooks and plenty of photos. Each display also had their own unique touches of what was popular during each class, like a cardboard cutout of Elvis.
Each guest received a commemorative DVD and a program highlighting the history of the old Tomlin location.