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Resurrection alumni will gather at Austin’s Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory High School for an all-class basketball game and dance Nov. 19 to honor and celebrate the rich history of what was once Resurrection Elementary School, while building a bridge to work with students and faculty of the school now on campus.
A newly formed Resurrection Alumni Association hopes to sponsor ongoing events to raise money for student scholarships, as well as pursue other ways to benefit the school and community.
The evening will start with two basketball games starring players from the Resurrection Romans dating back to the early 1970s and end with an “old school” dance mimicking those held years ago in the lower hall of the gymnasium building. The event will also include a tribute to honor Resurrection trailblazers and Christ the King leadership for their dedication to the families and community.
“General Facebook chatter about the basketball talent Resurrection produced quickly generated interest to hold an alumni game,” said Darryl Morrison, a 1977 graduate of Resurrection.
“Resurrection was a catalyst by which many student/athletes were able to pursue high school and college education with some very strong and well-known basketball programs. Res produced great talent on and off the court. Many people don’t know that Isaiah Thomas (Detroit Pistons), Darryl Thomas (NCAA National Champion – Indiana University), Steve Harris (actor in The Practice), Wood Harris (actor in The Wire) and many others actually attended and/or played basketball at Resurrection,” he said.
“Academically, we had committed, experienced educators who were just as demanding of us in the classroom as our coaches were on the court,” Morrison said.
“Anyone who grew up in the Austin area knew about the parties that were held in the lower hall,” said Ray Jones, class of 1977.
“It was only natural that we add an old school dance to the day’s event,” said Jones, one of several Resurrection disc jockeys and owner of Audio West Professional DJ Service. Jones credits his 32 years in the business to his start at Resurrection.
“There’s a lot of excitement brewing, and we want to share with the Christ the King family the sense of community, support and service that is the pride and history of Resurrection,” Morrison said. “Res wasn’t just a school, it was a family.”
Resurrection officially closed in the mid 1990s. Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School, a Catholic, Jesuit secondary school (grades 9-12) opened August 2008. Using the Cristo Rey model, the school serves young men and women from the Austin neighborhood and surrounding communities on Chicago’s West Side.
Christ the King makes possible the dream of a quality and affordable education for students whose families could not otherwise pay the tuition charged by private schools. Students earn up to three-quarters of their tuition costs while gaining valuable, life-changing skills and experience through jobs at Chicago-area companies such as hospitals, law firms, banks and non-profit organizations.
Tickets for the game and dance are $15 at the door. For more information, e-mail resalumni@yahoo.com