Northwest Rankin Class of 1986 20-year Reunion Awards

Some Awards given by committee-member Andrew:


• Farthest distance traveled: Chris Manczak came from Chicago. Kim Brocato Bodon flew in from Utah via Atlanta. David Crisp DROVE (that’s right, DROVE) from New Jersey. Holly Helms Grundon came from Vermont. But, the award goes to Andrew Brady who had to drive 7 hours with an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old fighting the whole way, both ways. My apologies to the other four nominees, who are probably still in transit home and won’t care anyway.
  
  
• The actual farthest distances traveled (many thanks to Kim for calculating):
  Kim Brocato Bodon, Draper, UT, 1830 mi.
  Holly Helms Grundon, Lincoln, VT, 1451 mi.
  David Crisp, Sparta, NJ, 1165 mi.
  Chris Manczak, Elgin, IL, 788 mi.
  Tonya Kietzman Reid, Charlotte, NC, 620 mi.
  Paula Holsapple (Hefflinger), Bowling Green, KY 481 mi.
  Keith Powell, Houston, TX, 477 mi.
  Andrew Brady, Tallahassee, FL, 475 mi.
  Deborah Hux, Houston, TX 463 mi.
  Leslie O'Gwyn, White House, TN, 442 mi.
  Scott Snow, Roswell, GA, 398 mi.
  Jeff Roberts, Atlanta GA, 385 mi.
  Paul Smith, Atlanta, GA 380 mi.
  Craig Burley, Atlanta, GA, 377 mi.
  Paige Miller Barker, Sherwood, AR, 348 mi.
  Scott Hellard, Decatur, AL, 311 mi.
  Michelle Johnson Spencer, Pensacola, FL, 285 mi.
  Trudy Calhoun, Carencro, LA, 242 mi.
  Joe Hudson, Birmingham, AL, 233 mi.
  Susan Pierce, Alabaster, AL, 228 mi.
  Michelle Slack, Memphis, TN, 215 mi.,
  Kelly Sudduth, Metairie, LA, 191 mi.
  
  
• Most kids: Not sure I want to touch this one . . . with the various DNA testing and child support documents going around, I’m sure I would be proven wrong anyway. I did see a bunch of little Scott Snows running around at the picnic and there were quite a few little ones of Laurie Murillo Akins soaking up the humidity, so let’s just call it a tie and give it to them.
  
  
• The spitting image of their parent award is also a tie . . . between Brenna Boyd Miller’s daughter and Mike Kennedy’s son.
  
  
  
• The longest married couple . . . I think we all know that Amy Estes Taylor wins in a landslide. Congratulations, you two have beaten the odds.
  
  
  
• The most changed award: This is another risky one to give out. To their credit, a couple of old NWR football players have slimmed down considerably . . . Craig Burley and Richie McCluskey should share this award. For my own safety, I refuse to name a female recipient.
  
  
  
• The more things change, the more they stay the same award: David DeWitt hasn’t stopped being the life of the party, so he deserves this one. Runners up are Ray Smith and Kenneth Beverly, who are still in the same shape as they were in high school and could play for Northwest on opening night. I think there has never been an awkward moment of silence in a room with Shelley Taylor Eaton in the last 20 years, so she wins for the women.
  
  
  
• Best dancer: Many of our classmates have learned those choreographed line dances and were struttin’ it pretty good. But, I think the award should go to Ted Odom, who I saw cutting a rug quite a few times. There were too many good dancers to name really. Or, at least they seemed good to me after a few trips to the bar.
  
  
  
• The “you live in this town too?” award goes to Craig Burley, Scott Snow, Jeff Roberts and Paul Smith who all live in Atlanta but didn’t know it until this weekend. That is, they didn’t know the others lived there . . . of course, they knew that they lived there. Thanks to all four for making the trip.
  
  Update from Monica Easterling Bellipanni:
  I think I deserve the “living in the same town” award because I discovered at the reunion that Scott Harwell lives less than 1 mile from me in Hattiesburg!
  
  Some Awards given by committee-member Thomas:
  
  
• The real award for the oldest couple goes to Burley and Snook! Some friendships are so natural that they transcend time, and it’s obvious their friendship has done so. I hope you all have a friend like this.
  
  
  
• Most weight gained – ME and Felix (at close to 80 lbs each!!) And David Dewitt, you aint far behind us brother! I appreciate both of you joining me in this award, After seeing Craig and Richie, I thought I’d be out there on my own!
  
  
  
• Best looking after 20 years – this is the easiest award by far, the entire female graduating class!! The years have been kind to you ladies and I quickly remembered why I was scared to talk to yall. For some reason, us boys (most of us anyway) didn’t age so well JK. And by the way, thanks to everyone who reminded me that I married outside my league. I’ve been trying to get over that for the past 15 years!
  
  
  
  
• Least Changed – I think we can all agree that would be Dr. Slick, Scott Harwell, and I don’t know what else to say about that.
  
  
  Award given by committee-member Kim:
  
  
• Are we related? Award: Russell Wilcox and Kim Brocato Bodon (we look like brother and sister!)
  
  
  

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