About 160 senior citizens attended Port Clinton High School Holiday Breakfast with the Arts, which Superintendent Pat Adkins called “one of the best days of the year.”

BY SHERI TRUSTY

For 20 years, Port Clinton High School has been inviting the city’s senior citizens to the school for Holiday Breakfast with the Arts where they gather with friends, meet the students, and enjoy the incredible talents of the school’s music department. This year, about 160 senior citizens attended the event, which was held on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

“It’s truly one of the best days of the year,” said Superintendent Pat Adkins. “It’s a small way to say thank you.”

The school’s Food Services department prepared the food, and members of Leadership Council helped organize the event and serve food.

Port Clinton High School Choir Director Bruno Bush, center, reacts with joy as his acapella group, Touch of Class, performed.

“The students were here at 7 a.m. helping with setup,” said Director of Student, Staff, & Community Development Jan Gluth. “Santa and his elves are National Honor Society students.”

After breakfast, the seniors were entertained by the school’s award-winning music department, which includes the orchestra, jazz band, choir, chorale and acapella group, Touch of Class. The program has been honored with multiple Best Communities for Music Education Awards from the National Association of Music Merchants.

“We’ve been blessed to receive the award every year since 2019,” Adkins said. “We have an excellent music department. Music and art education have been a big part of this school for 50 years.”

Members of Port Clinton High School Leadership Council served breakfast to seniors at Holiday Breakfast with the Arts recently. The students arrived at school at 7 a.m. to help prepare for the event.

Duane and Julie Waite recognize the school’s exceptional music department and attended the event to show their support.

“We’re all really lucky in Port Clinton to have these performances right here,” Duane said.

The Waite’s children graduated from Port Clinton High School and Duane, a musician, formerly helped teach the band’s trombone players. Julie is a former Port Clinton teacher, so they have a strong connection to the school.

The Port Clinton High School choir performs before the dozens of seniors who attended Holiday Breakfast with the Arts.

“This event is just wonderful. We really enjoy the music. It gets you in the holiday spirit,” Julie said.

Friends Doris Libben and Jean Collins have been attending Holiday Breakfast with the Arts for years. The event, Collins said, gives her the chance to “see people I haven’t seen in quite a while.”

“It’s a great outreach to the community,” Libben said.

Connecting with local residents is the purpose behind the event.

“The community is so generous to us. This is an opportunity to give back,” Adkins said. “The seniors look forward to it every year.”

The Port Clinton High School Music Department has been honored with multiple Best Communities for Music Education Awards from the National Association of Music Merchants.