Kanty Alumni Website

Our heartfelt condolences to our Kanty brother Paul Groszkiewicz (G76) and Family on his mother's passing. She was a former secretary at Kanty Prep. A very wonderful, giving woman. Your Kanty family grieves with you. Take care....

Irene Groszkiewicz Guest book

Irene Groszkiewicz 9/1/1930 - 5/14/2012

The St John Kanty Prep Reunion Committee has blocked rooms at 2 hotels for our 2012 Event. The primary hotel, where the Hospitality Room will be located, is:

Springhill Suites by Marriot
2087 Interchange Road
Erie, PA 16509.
Ph: (814)864-5000
Springhill Suites by Marriot

Our overflow hotel, is:

Townplace Suites by Marriot
2090 Interchange Road
Erie, Pa 16565
Ph: (814)864-7100
Townplace Suites by Marriot

20 rooms have been reserved at the primary hotel, first-come, first-serve basis. 30 rooms have been reserved at the overflow hotel. Tell the Hotel the reservation is for the St. John Kanty Prep Reunion.

The 2012 St. John Kanty Prep Reunion Committee has finalized the following for our event.
Dates: 9/21 - 9/23 (Several Committee members may arrive on Th, 9/20 to assist with shopping and set-up of the Hospitality Room)
Location: Erie, PA
Sat Night Dinner/Dance, 9/22/2012: Held at the Scottish Rite, 4701 Old Zuck Road, Erie, PA 16505
Entertainment: Misery Bay "Little" Band. Smaller version of the Misery Bay Big Band
Lodging: 2 hotels. A primary providing the Hospitality Room Th, Fr, Sat nights and an overflow hotel (across the street)
Details to follow as deposits are submitted.

NOTE: We are possibly considering St Stan's for the Sunday 8:30AM Mass. The Committee received the following response when we contacted St Stan's:

I and the parish would be happy to have your alumni group come to St. Stan's Parish for Mass at 8:30 AM on Sunday, September 23. Are you aware that the first pastor of our parish, Msgr. Andrew Ignasiak, was responsible for the building of St. John Kanty School. We even have the blueprints for the building, which has been razed. I understand that he was vitally interested in providing a college which would preserve the elements of our polish heritage. He came to the parish as a newly ordained priest in 1886 and died here on December 29, 1934. He had an ongoing relationship of support and encouragement for the school and the Vincentian Fathers. We do have a "parish hall" and if the ladies are available, I am sure that we would be able to provide a "breakfast" following the Mass. Please let me know approximately the number that would be attending. I look forward to hearing from you. Msgr. Bernard J. Urbaniak, Pastor (Father Bernie)

Congrats to Art Oleszkowski, Mike Trott and the rest of the
committee on the preparatory work they have already initiated
relative to our reunion.

The Marriott sounds like a winner to me. It is perhaps the
classiest and most respected chain in the hotel industry.

My class (1952) will be observing its 60th snniversary.

Ed Szemraj

Feel free to join us or if you care to make a pledge, we will accept those too! -- Mike (G77), Adam (G80)

Girard High School is planning the Second Annual Mina’s March, 5K Race/Walk that will take place on Saturday, May 5, 2012 through the streets of Girard. In May of 2010, our school community lost a beloved teacher and coach, Mr. Mina George. As a social studies teacher, football and track and field coach, Mina touched the lives of many people. More importantly, he connected with and made an impact on many students while he was here. Coach George constantly helped students and encouraged them to continue their education after high school. In an effort to continue this mission, last year we began a 5K race named in his honor which funds $1000 scholarships for one male and one female senior from Girard High School.

Participants may either run in the race or choose to walk the course. Everyone will start at the high school football stadium & the course will wind its way through parts of Girard Borough and end back at the football stadium. Entry Fee: Pre-Race is $10.00 for students age 18 & under; race day the entry fee will be $15.00. The cost for adults is $15.00 pre-race & $20.00 on the day of the race. Students 18 & younger may take pledges for how many miles they walk either on the course (3 miles) or on the track at the stadium (as many as they can walk in 1.5 hours). Students who collect at least $ 50.00 of pledges will receive a free tee shirt.

The pre-race registration deadline is April 15, 2012.

Because we prefer to use all proceeds from the race to provide the scholarships, we are again asking businesses and individuals to help sponsor the race. There are various levels of sponsorship available; the different levels of support for a company are: $ 100.00, $ 250.00 & other $ _______. Individuals may become a sponsor for as little as $ 25.00 and up. All of the sponsors will have their names printed on the tee shirts that are given to each runner and event worker. The tee shirts will be sold at the district schools and at various high school sporting events after the race. Each sponsor will also receive a tee shirt. If you are able to donate, please make your check or money order out to GIRARD HIGH SCHOOL. If you have any specific questions regarding sponsorship, please feel free to contact or e-mail me at the number/address below.

Applications for the race may be picked up in the Girard High School Office, downloaded from here or filled out below.

Gregg McClelland, Principal

Girard High School

814-774-5607; ext. 5798

The 2012 St. John Kanty Prep Reunion will be held in Erie on 9/21 - 9/23. We have verbal holds on a couple of facilities for those dates and plan on finalizing plans this week. Check this site often for the latest updates.

The St. John Kanty Prep 2012 Reunion will be held in Erie,PA on September 21 - 23. UPDATE: We may have a venue for the Sat night Dinner/Dance for Sept 22. Many sites were booked. Check this web site often for updates as plans are finalized and details made available. If anyone has any contacts at a local Hall/club/facility, please contact the Committee care of:

- St. John Kanty Prep 2012 Reunion Committee.

St. John Kanty Prep - Erie, PA
For God, For Country, For Kanty...

Dr. Joseph Matala

Dr. Joseph Matala

Dear Fellow Kantyites,
On 12/31/2011 A true Kantyite passed away.His name is Dr. Joseph Matala who graduated from Kanty in 1948. He was from the Black Rock Area of Buffalo ,N.Y. and attended Assumption School where he was a star athlete and an honor student. His parents were Joseph and Mary who were very prominent professionals. His father attended Kanty and was a lawyer in the community.
He and fellow classmates,Dr.Joseph Kij and Judge Mike Zimmer became the backbone of the Buffalo contribution to Kanty.
I was a young paperboy who delivered to Mike and Lou Kubala (also a Kantyite ) the Dziennik Dla Wszystkiech (a Polish Newspaper) and every day they told me of their boy Jojo as he was called. He was a football, basketball, and baseball star at Kanty and his uncle Lou Kubala, who owned Kubala furniture always told me what Jojo was doing at Kanty.
Kanty was a boarding school at the time St. Francis was in the Buffalo area.
In 1949 when I graduated from Assumption, Fr. Adam Minkel showed up at the school and because of the influence of Jojo, many of my classmates chose to go to Kanty.
We are sorry that Jojo passed away and we will forever remember that it was he that gave us some of the best years of our lives. His influence will always stay in my heart as in many of my classmates. Jojo was a fighter and he fought until the last day of 2011. Now he will play and fight in the new year for another team and I am sure he will be the captain as he always was at Kanty.
Team God against Team Devil.
I spontaneously wrote this and it would take several days to honor and thank Jojo for the influence he was on my life. His wife Elaine and his children gave Jojo the best care he could possibly have since they all are in the Medical field.
His wife attended the reunion in Cleveland and I could not get enough info about Jojo except that he wished Kanty the best as always
Jojo you will be missed by us all especially me.
Bog Zaplac
Sincerely,
Archie and fellow Kantyites