The All Dons Reunion Celebrating 150 Years of Olive and Gold

An estimated 1300 alumni returned to Santa Barbara High School (SBHS) on Oct. 11 to celebrate the All Dons Reunion, reconnecting with their past classmates and honoring the school’s 150-year anniversary. During this event, alums were able to enjoy a variety of performances, memorabilia, food trucks and student-ran tables from on-campus programs. This is the third triennial All Dons Reunion SBHS has hosted featuring new additions like a vintage car show and guided campus tours for alums to participate in.

“This event is bringing up so many good memories, especially while watching the performances,” alumni from class of 1966, Karen Reeves Gaylon, said when asked about her favorite part of the event. 

For entertainment, performances by the marching band, the Donettes, cheer and choir took place in front of the main steps in front of the school. The band played tunes such as “Hey Ya” and the “National Anthem”. To accompany the band’s music, the Donettes performed in traditional pom style for the alums.

“Being able to perform in front of alumni who maybe in past years were on the dance team was an incredible experience and just so much fun.” Sophomore at SBHS and Donettes Co-Captain, Paloma Aguilar, said when asked about how the performance was for her.

Along with the performances, programs such as Computer Science Academy, Visual Arts Media Academy (VADA), The Forge, Olive and Gold, softball and others had tables scattered around the front flagpole. The purpose of these tables was to share information about current opportunities and to connect alumni of specific programs with those programs’ current students.

Ider Kawabata, a student of the Computer Science Academy (CSA), when asked about tabling, said, “I love to show the representation, to show past Dons how the academy has grown over the years.”

With this reunion landing on the 150th anniversary, the school added many festivities. In honor, the school provided guided tours for alumni throughout the school. This guided tour brought the alums through the main hall and quad to end in the library, where archives of past yearbooks and Forge issues were open for alums to look through. Both date back to the early years of SBHS, with archives over one hundred years old.

The next All Dons Reunion will take place in 2028, providing another opportunity for alumni to return, reminisce, and celebrate yet again. 

Alumni Marilyn Landis Clayton when asked about what she is excited for regarding future reunions said, “Seeing old faces, sometimes neighbors, is always so fun.”