Alumni Relations Partners with City for Reunion, Mayor’s Cup Collaboration

December 14, 2010

For the first time, SUNY Plattsburgh will team up with the City of Plattsburgh to incorporate Summer Reunion alumni events with the city’s annual Mayor’s Cup Regatta and Festival July 7 -10.In addition to a host of alumni activities slated for classes ending in “1” and “6,” such as a Reunion barbecue and alumni class dinners, the Office of Alumni Relations is including Mayor’s Cup events on its Reunion itinerary to encourage alumni to return to Plattsburgh and enjoy all the region has to offer.

“Alumni input prompted moving the date for Reunion to July to encourage families – and especially teaching alumni – to come back and enjoy Plattsburgh in the summer,” said Joanne Nelson, director of alumni relations. “One of the hallmarks of summer in Plattsburgh is the annual Mayor’s Cup sailboat race and regatta, which includes water events on Lake Champlain, and landlubber and cultural events downtown. By holding Reunion during the Mayor’s Cup, we offer alumni so much more to see and do. It makes for a wonderful opportunity for city and college collaboration.”

Reunion will begin Thursday, July 7, and include the annual Boat Parade of Lights competition from Wilcox Dock to the Naked Turtle restaurant downtown and the Jumpin’ in July concert that evening on the lawn of the North Country Cultural Center for the Arts.

On-campus events begin Friday, July 8, with a tour of the Rockwell Kent Gallery, a white-glove reception at the Kent-Delord House Museum, the Golden Anniversary Club Reception in the Olive Flynt Mason House, and the reunion barbecue at the Naked Turtle.

“The Mayor’s Cup and Regatta is one of the most enjoyable events in the North Country, and the addition of the SUNY Plattsburgh alumni Reunion members and their families will make this event more special than it already is,” Plattsburgh Mayor Donald Kasprzak said. “The alumni will connect with their classmates while listening to live music, watching one of the most popular sailboat regattas on Lake Champlain and enjoying everything Plattsburgh has to offer.”

Alumni will also find other new events added to their Reunion itinerary, such as a tour of North Country vineyards, the Young Alumni Cardinal-tini Mixer at the North Country Cultural Center for the Arts downtown and a Reunion picnic on Lake Champlain in the pavilions at the AuSable Point Campground – all set for Saturday. Alumni who like to camp can do so at the site, which borders a wildlife management area with hiking trails and water access for swimming, canoeing and kayaking. Campers and picnickers alike will be able to watch many of the sailboat races as the sailors round the southern tip of Valcour Island.

“The arts center is thrilled to be a part of such a great collaboration with dedicated area organizations uniting quality events with the community,” said Susan Daul, executive director of the NCCCA. “Together, we can all share in making the North Country an exciting destination for all to enjoy.”

Reunion will end with a farewell brunch on Sunday, but that event doesn’t have to mean a farewell to the North Country, Nelson said.

“We’re hoping alumni will stay and enjoy the rest of the Mayor’s Cup activities and perhaps extend their visit into the following week to further enjoy what the North Country has to offer,” Nelson said.

“It’s been 18 years since Sunrise Rotary began actively helping to organize the popular regatta that attracts competitors – some serious, some just for fun – from all over the Northeast and Canada,” said Gail Recore, a Mayor’s Cup Committee co-chair. “Between Rotary’s competitive sailboat race, the popular Boat Parade of Lights competition and the family-friendly landlubber attractions, we feel that there is something for all alumni to enjoy on our beautiful lake. It will surely rekindle old friendships, too.”