MBHS Class Of '91 Honors Deceased Classmates With Donation

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL — Class reunions are a great way to catch up with old friends, see the people you once roamed your high school halls with and see how much your classmates have changed over three decades. And for the Mountain Brook High School Class of 1991, it was a way to give back to the community in honor of those class members who have since passed away.

The MBHS Class of '91 held its 30th reunion Saturday, and as each class member who participated was required to pay a fee to put attend the reunion, the organizers of the event found themselves with a surplus of funds when the reunion was over.

Birmingham attorney David Miller, the Class of '91 president, said he and his fellow reunion organizers opted to donate the excess funds to a local nonprofit organization, the Desert Island Supply Company, in the names of 13 members of the class who have died.

Among those honored with the donation include:

• John Buell
• Kevin Butrus
• Josh Dawson
• Craig Dube
• Caldwell Jones
• Cameron Kirby
• Brian Neumeier
• Chris Newman
• Michael Riley
• Katie Sanfelippo
• J Sharbel
• Steven Slater
• Neil Wellman

"Reunions are not money makers," Miller said. "But we've been lucky enough each reunion to have a small amount left over and always donate that amount to charity in the name of our deceased classmates. This year we chose Desert Island Supply Company because of its ambitious goals in helping children."

DISCO, founded in 2010 by Chip Brantley and Elizabeth Hughey of Birmingham, offers free after-school workshops plus in-school programs in area schools. The headquarters in Woodlawn also serves as a hub for creative community projects and events.