Over 700 Alumni Gather for Historic Reunion in Smiltene
On Saturday, June 13, Smiltene Secondary School and former general education schools of the town held their first joint reunion, attracting over 700 alumni. The event featured the opening of an outdoor fitness area and the planting of an oak tree.
Smiltene witnessed a historic event on June 13 as, for the first time, alumni of Smiltene Secondary School and the town's former general education schools gathered together. More than 700 former students attended the reunion, which took place across several school buildings and at the Jāņukalns stage.
The program included guided tours of the school buildings at 16C Rīgas Street, 17 Dārza Street, and 27 Dakteru Street. In the evening, a festive concert was held at the Jāņukalns stage, featuring performances by student choirs, ensembles, and dancers. The concert was hosted by Kārlis Anitens, a graduate of Smiltene Gymnasium, who invited other alumni, including journalist Ojārs Rubenis and public media board chair Baiba Zūzena, to share memories.
The Smiltene municipality presented the school with an oak sapling, handed over by council chairman Ervins Labanovskis. Meanwhile, alumni Jānis Mežulis, Jānis Ērglis, and Mikus Lacbergs donated outdoor exercise equipment – a fitness area that was inaugurated on the day of the reunion at the school stadium on 27 Dakteru Street. Thanks were also extended to other supporters: Smiltene Technical School, the company "ASE," and the municipal Economic Administration.
Special thanks were given to former school directors, including Alfrēds Zalāns, Ainārs Mežulis, Aija Cunska, Velga Mālkalne, Inese Raiskuma, and Ilze Vergina. In her address, Smiltene Secondary School principal Inguna Kondratjeva expressed pride in the alumni and noted that such reunions will become a tradition, though the frequency – every five or ten years – is yet to be decided.
