Seeking Members of the Class of '87

A graduate from the class of 1987 is looking for about three dozen fellow alumni for the group's .

Julie Aldrich, who started the effort about two years ago after learning that there were no plans at that point for a reunion, said during a recent interview that she's already reached most of the 195 grduates listed in the JHS yearbook.

"Someone had to take the lead, so I did," Aldrich explained. "What we started doing was finding people through Facebook and Google searches. A lot of people are still local, so they know someone who knows someone — we've found all but 34, [and] there's no information on them."

Aldrich said there's a Facebook JHS Class of 1987 page where lots of her classmates have reconnected — and she's put together an email contact list for those who have already replied.

The Aug. 11 event is scheduled for Spirito's Restaurant on Broadway in Providence, run by Greg Spirito, JHS Class of '86.

"Greg has been phenomenal — I had no start-up money, and Greg booked the date with me, no deposit, and that was one of the big obstacles I had to deal with — how do you walk into a venue and say 'I don’t know how many people, and I don’t have any money'?" Aldrich explained.

Instead of the "stuffy, sit-down kind of thing," Aldrich said, Spirito will host a more open "fashionably elegant cocktail party,” with passed hors d'oeuvres and small connected rooms within the two-level restaurant to promote mingling and reminiscing.

And if enough people confirm their attendance, Aldrich added, Spirito said he'll adjust to accomodate the larger crowd.

"He’s willing to shut this whole restaurant down for us for the entire night — how do you beat that?" Aldrich explained. "He’s been truly accommodating, and he’s really worked with me to ensure we have a good menu and have a really good time."

Tickets for the reunion are $45 per person, with a final count due by June 23. For more information, contact Aldrich at JulieA613@cox.net, or call (401) 741-3382.