Yorkton Regional celebrates a milestone

Yorkton Regional High School is turning 50 this year and it will be spending a weekend  celebrating its past and present.

The school is honouring its decades-long history and the countless students its housed with a two-day event on September 15 and 16.

The celebration will kick off at 7 p.m. with a Friday Night Lights football game at Century Field as the Yorkton Raider Gridders take on the Weyburn Eagles.

“It’s a big game for us,” said Roby Sharpe, student activites advisor for the school and football coach. Sharpe is also one of the organizers for the 50th birthday celebration.

“It’s usually our biggest crowd,” he said.

A choir made up of alumni members will be singing “Oh, Canada” to start the game. An alumni band will also perform during halftime.

On Saturday morning the school will be open for guided tours. The evening will be dedicated to a banquet and dance event in Flexi Hall at the Gallagher Center.

“It’s basically a big fundraiser and a night out,” Sharpe said.

The banquet will also feature several prominent high school alumni delivering speeches. Joan McCusker, Yorkton’s only Olympic gold medallist, will be present, as will fellow Yorktonite Alvin Law, a motivational speaker. Gordon Matthews, 91, one of the first principals for the school, is also going to speak.

Sharpe has been planning this celebration with other people for the last six months. He’s hoping for a big turnout of students old and current, since this school has served as a hub for the community.

“It was a big deal when they created this high school,” he said. “A comprehensive high school was a huge thing.

“This building...has a lot of stories.”

600 tickets are still available for the banquet. They cost $50 each. Anyone interested in buying them can contact Amy at 306-786-5561. Further questions can be emailed to [email protected].