2007 Reunion Summary

From Eliafamily

Current revision as of 14:20, 20 August 2007

Location

One of three honored guests at the 2007 Reunion, Dorothy Elia sits with Scott and Ann Elia outside the reunion pavilion.

The 2007 Reunion was held at Onanda Park in Canadaigua, NY. It was a home-coming of sorts for the reunion, which were originally held just a couple of miles away at the farm of Nick and Ann Elia yearly during the 1970s and 1980s. Previous reunions had also been held in Norwich (2001, 2004) and Kingston (1995).

Attendees

The weather was glorious, and several of the younger (and young-at-heart) Elias took advantage of the cool waters of Canandaigua Lake.

This year's reunion was organized by Jason Majewski, whose sister Jennifer had organized the previous two reunions in Norwich. Turnout was outstanding, with 98 people attending. The weather was absolutely fantastic - a welcome change from the downpour of the 2004 Reunion.

Several brand-new Elias were in attendance. The youngest attendees were Elizabeth St. John (born February 3) and Alexandra Elia (born January 21) who traveled, with their parents, from Madison, Wisconsin and Brooklyn, NY respectively. The reunion also honored the eldest Elias: Kate Elia, who was unable to attend, Dorothy Elia, and Marie Barbarossa. Both Dorothy and Marie were able to attend and, of course, grew a great deal of attention. Near the end of the day, Marie regaled a group of listeners (Dolores Stokes, Ann Naccarato, Nick and Ann Elia, Mary and John McAlpin, among others) with tales of Barbarossas and Elias from the early days.

Most of the attendees came from New York and New Jersey, but several traveled a good distance to attend. Steven St. John brought his family from Winter Springs, Florida; Jim and Angela St. John and also Christopher Hansen came in from Atlanta, Georgia; Rose and Peter Murray came from Garden City Beach, South Carolina; Tim Patchin and Kevin St. John both came from Wisconsin; David Patchin brought his family from their new home in Ohio; Patricia Murray came in from Michigan by way of Mexico.

Activities

Another of the honored guests, Marie Barbarossa poses with two of her great grandchildren, Kathryn and Julia St. John.

Elias began gathering at just before noon, and by 1pm, most of the attendees had arrived. The pavilion was buzzing with conversation both inside and out. Food was served at 2:30 and consisted of chicken, pasta salad, and salt potatoes. Though adequate, one was forced to admit it was a far cry from the way the Elias used to do chicken - over the flame pit at Nick Elia's farm.

The reunion hall featured several displays, including an updated version of the familiar family tree ring poster. Angela St. John also created a "then and now" display of landmarks in Norwich, NY using photos and postcards that displayed old and new images of familiar sites for Elias, such as Grandma Elia's house and St. Bart's church. Jason Majewski created a display for the Aunt Kate, Aunt Dorothy, and Aunt Mary (Marie), the 2007 honorees, which featured biography pages from this website.

The afternoon featured more conversation and plenty of activities. Kids played on the playground behind the pavilion, or swam in the lake. Some tossed the football around, though there was no reprise of some of the grand flag football games that have broken out at previous reunions. More serious efforts were made at bocce, volleyball, and soccer, however.

In the late afternoon, barista extraordinaire Jason brewed a strong pot of coffee and he and Kathy Majewski set up a very popular ice cream bar. John Murray and Angela St. John distributed the 2007 Elia Address book, which they again generously compiled, edited, and self-published at their own expense.

Post-Reunion Activities

Elias began saying their goodbyes around 6pm, though many lingered on such a beautiful afternoon. Some gathered for more conversation at the Farmington home of Nancy Benton. The reunion also finally truly came home the next morning, when about 40 people gathered at the home of Mark and Vanessa Elia which sits on 5 acres attached to Nick Elia's farm. From the deck of Mark and Vanessa's home, one could see the "Elia barn" which stands as the logo of this website. Mark's home, still in progress but ideal for entertaining, provided an ideal way to end the weekend's festivities. Brunch included eggs, donuts, sandwiches, and fruit. The weather remained perfect; John Elia led a group doing trampoline acrobatics, and Peter Elia led some of the younger Elias on a great bug collecting expedition. The insects were easy pray attracted by the New York wildflowers in full bloom all over Mark and Nick's property.

Photo Gallery

The 2007 Reunion was organized by Jason Majewski, shown here playing an obscure game that was popular enough that it may rival bocce at future reunions.

A new tradition? The ice cream bar was a big success with the kids.

As always, sports were a big part of the activities.

Photos

The following photo galleries are available on the Elia Family's Shutterfly account:

• Steven St. John's 2007 Reunion Pictures