Although the pandemic has slammed the brakes on many class activities, the Class of 9T4 continues to raise funds for medical students. And the Class of 6T0, well, nothing can keep them apart.
Helping med students
By rallying their classmates, Dr. Stuart McCluskey and Dr. Susan Campbell championed the Class of 9T4 Fund that now totals a whopping $35,000.
“When Susan and I took over the fund, the money was to be used to pay for reunion dinners,” says McCluskey. “Well, our busy lives got the better of us, and our first reunion had to wait 15 years. By that time, medical school tuition was through the roof and, for the most part, we were all making a good income. So we paid for our reunion ourselves and re-allocated our class funds to support current students. We all felt that students today needed a break and that we could help.”
This year, the class awarded a $5,000 Class of 9T4 Student Bursary. “We were a great group, and the group can leave this collective mark.
“We would like to do a lot more,” continues McCluskey. “It would be amazing to pay the entire tuition of one student for medical school and help to ensure medical school access for all. For this we will need a fund nearly five times larger than what we have today. But why not?”
Celebrating virtually
The Class of 6T0 hasn’t let the COVID-19 pandemic stop them from getting together. Last year, Class President Dr. Don Butt spearheaded a virtual class reunion. In late 2020, the class got together on Zoom to celebrate their 60th anniversary.
Don says the secret to a good Zoom get-together is organization. “The risk is that one person takes over and everyone else just listens,” he warns.
To avoid this pitfall, before the meeting, Don asked his classmates if they would like to share some of their career and personal highlights at the Zoom reunion. Then, he allotted five minutes to each alumnus who wanted to speak. “People even prepared what they would like to say in their five minutes,” Don says.
A hidden benefit of a virtual reunion is that it’s free, no matter where you live. “You save a ton of money in hotels and travel,” he says.
“But a drawback is that you don’t get to enjoy a great meal and fine wines together.”
Now, the Class of 6T0 Reunion Committee is planning an in-person reunion weekend in Toronto. They have their fingers crossed that they’ll be able to hold it in the spring or summer of 2022. To organize it, the committee members are doing all of their planning on Zoom.
Upcoming Class Reunions
The Class of 6T2 is planning an in-person luncheon to mark its 60th anniversary. The celebration will be on Friday, May 6, 2022, at 12:30 at the Rosedale Golf Club. Emails to save the date have been sent out. Please indicate if you are planning to attend by January 14, 2022. You can RSVP online. For more information, email Dr. Fred Rosen at fishl.rosen@gmail.com
The Class of 6T7 is hoping to have an in-person reunion in June 2022 at the Donalda Club.
The Class of 7T2 is looking for classmates interested in getting the ball rolling for a 50th reunion. If you’re interested, email the MAA at medcial.alumni@utoronto.ca