From the Archives: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Classic
The Alumni Thanksgiving Classic has become one of Friends Select School’s most cherished traditions, |
bridging generations of alumni, current students, families, and employees. In November 2025, the school celebrated the 50th anniversary of the event with an annual basketball game between alumni and the current boys’ Varsity basketball team in the Parkway Building gym, lunch in the Matthew Huffman ’91 Dining Hall, and an Alumni Happy Hour nearby. |
This celebration is rooted in tradition, school spirit, and alumni connection. Long before the Classic was formally established, alumni returned to campus during the Thanksgiving and winter holidays to visit teachers, play basketball, and reconnect. The archives suggest these informal games took place as early as the mid-1960s. In those early years, both soccer and basketball were part of the tradition, although basketball quickly became the centerpiece.
Over the decades, the Classic has been sustained by generations of players, coaches, and employees whose presence continues to draw alumni back to campus. Guests are likely to see Herb Kerns, Bill Klose, and even Ed Smiley in attendance. Coaches, in particular, have played a significant role in nurturing the tradition, including Derek Evans ’82, a member of the 1982 championship basketball team, and Ed Burnley, a revered boys’ Junior Varsity basketball coach. More recently, under current boys’ Varsity basketball coach Percell Coles’ tenure, the Classic has grown in both scale and spirit, welcoming broader student participation and renewed energy.
Each year, the athletics department and Alumni Association run a full-court press to ensure the Classic’s success. Paul Norris ’95 has been on an unbelievable streak and hasn’t missed a game since 10th grade! Masai Pines- Elliot ’21 and Mark Aaronson ’21 are following in his footsteps. As the event has evolved, other opportunities for alumni to connect have organically grown as well. Informal reunions, displays of pieces from the Friends Select archives, and pizza shared in the dining hall have become as integral to the experience as the game itself.
Although the game remains central, the tradition serves not only athletic alumni, but also those simply seeking connection during the holiday season. In recent years, expanded alumni outreach has helped attract new and nonathletic alumni, underscoring that the Classic is about far more than basketball. It is about community and the enduring legacy of Friends Select, making it one of the school’s longest-running and most beloved traditions.
By Dick Hoffman, retired archivist
