By Edmond Ortiz
Staff Writer

Roosevelt High School, a 42-year-old campus that is in the final phases of a multi-year rebuilding effort, recently has been hosting tours by various organizations connected to the community.

But for a group of retired school employees, a tour of the refurbished facilities April 10 took on a different meaning.

The Roosevelt Brunch Bunch is comprised mainly of retired Roosevelt employees, but they are joined by others who have worked elsewhere within the North East School District.

The Brunch Bunch does what the name implies, meeting typically on the third week of every January and September at Mama’s Café on U.S. 281. The ‘bunch’ actually operates as a non-profit, a gathering of former employees catching up on personal matters and the evolution of Roosevelt as a campus community.

Anna Lee Ray is one such bunch member, who worked as the attendance secretary from 1976 to 1996. She then worked a four additional years at Cole High School before retiring.

Ray said the Brunch Bunch has more than 100 members on the roster, but attendance at the gatherings varies due to “the weather of the day and life’s circumstances.” There are no membership fees. And it’s not just former workers who stay in touch with each other and with the Roosevelt campus through the Brunch Bunch.

“We’ve had students graduate Roosevelt, move away, and then years later have their kids attend Roosevelt. There lots of connections here,” Ray said.

“We talk about what’s going with each other and the activity at the school. Of course, the rebuilding is a big topic,” added Ray, who along with her husband still lives in the area. Both of their children also attended Roosevelt.

A notable attendee at this special Brunch Bunch tour was 93-year-old Fran Musselwhite, who worked there when Roosevelt first opened in 1966.