Victoria Pride has fond memories of her time at Forest Park Middle School.
“Getting to school early, those are my best memories,” the 2007 graduate said. “It was like a pre-recess at school. We played double dutch, people would play catch, people would meet up and talk.
“I almost felt like it was a huge link up before school started.”
That’s what this weekend will be like when the Forest Park Middle School Homecoming Weekend begins Thursday, coordinated by Pride and David Sims, a 2005 grad. Lots of reminiscing about the good old days and good people will be the weekend theme, along with the tagline, “Come home. Reconnect. Celebrate. Give back.”
The event came together in a two-month span, Sims said, including a private Facebook page that has grown to over 800 members.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without the community,” he said. “I think we made it look easy, but it came together as quickly as it did because of the community.”
Pride said the event has grown into the social event of the fall.
“The biggest mission was to get everyone to believe in it,” she said. “The biggest challenge was making sure we got everyone in one place.”
Community partners including Forest Park School District 91, the Kiwanis Club of Forest Park, Mohr Oil, Forest Park Bank, Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs and State Farm agent Mark Hanson.
Homecoming weekend will kick off, literally, with alumni, faculty, staff, friends and families enjoying the current middle school co-ed soccer game against Hillside. JV starts at 4:15 p.m. with varsity at 5:15 p.m. at 7501 Harrison St. Wearing retro Panthers gear is encouraged, or there will be new merchandise designed specifically for homecoming weekend to be had.
From 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday is the FPMS alumni basketball game at Roos Recreation Center, 7329 Harrison St. Sims isn’t playing, but he said it’s going to be one of the most exciting parts of the weekend.
The alumni hoops game will feature two teams. The Old School squad will consist of players who graduated in 2006 or older, while the New School team will be players from 2007 to the present. Admission to the event is simply two non-perishable food items, which will be donated to the Forest Park Food Bank and contribute to the Kiwanis Club of Forest Park food drive which is happening this weekend.
“The idea is to make the basketball game more than just a reunion activity,” Sims said. “It gives everyone attending an opportunity to help give back to the community that helped shape many of us.”
On Saturday there will be the FPMS alumni all-class picnic from noon to 7 p.m. at Miller Meadow, Grove 1 and 2. Once again, canned goods and other non-perishable food items will be collected for the Forest Park Food Bank but be sure to bank on fun and laughs connecting generations of graduates.
Four hundred people, at minimum, are expected for the picnic, Sims said, mostly due to the community chatter in person and online that’s grown over the last 8 weeks.
“They’re excited about the event,” Pride said. “Some of these people have not spoken to each other in a long time. People learned about this and reached out to their own circle of people.”
Sims said FPMS alumni, friends and family can simply drop by the picnic, but they are encouraged to join the Facebook page.
Doubtless Pride will spend her time talking about her favorite before-school memories. Sims has his own stories, one in particular.
“My best memory, I think it was home arts,” he said. “We had to take turns taking the baby simulator home. You only got it for a day, but the day I got it, we had a basketball game. It was an away game, three hours away, in Charleston.
“It was just funny to have that baby and the uncles there,” he said, referring to his basketball teammates.
District 91 spokesperson Rachelle Ernst said that Forest Park Middle School, 925 Beloit Ave., opened in January 1987. Previously, the current Field-Stevens Intermediate Elementary School, which is linked to the middle school, was a K-8 school.
“District 91 is so excited to see a group of FPMS alumni organizing what we hope will be an annual event that will bring together alumni and families,” Ernst said, “and we hope it is something that will go forward with our current graduates and their families.”