L to R: Alyse White ’15, Chelsea Grimm ’15, Helen Ringle ’09, MS ’14, and Lauren Revis ’15 raise a toast at the 2015 Holiday Party. (Credit: Laurie Schmidt)
On December 3, 2015, Mines alumni gathered to celebrate the holiday season and connect with fellow Orediggers. To accommodate the nearly 400 attendees (which broke previous attendance records), the party was held at the Green Center on the Mines campus. As guests entered the ballroom, they were serenaded with holiday carols sung by the Melodic and Harmonic Miners, and later, they two-stepped to the sounds of Thunder and Rain—a Golden-based country and bluegrass band.
Thunder and Rain, a local bluegrass band from Golden, Colorado, entertained guests at the 2015 Holiday Party. (Credit: Laurie Schmidt)
In keeping with the party theme, everyone was encouraged to wear their best “mountain casual” attire. While party-goers enjoyed festive holiday drinks and treats, President Paul C. Johnson and Mines Alumni Association president Ray Priestley ’79 donned Santa hats and gave out presents to attendees whose names were drawn from a bowl. “This annual holiday event has become so popular that we outgrew the Geology Museum, our previous venue, and had to move to a larger location,” says Ruth Jones, the alumni association’s senior associate director of programs. “Our local alums have made this an annual tradition—it’s almost like a mini reunion. Our staff looks forward to this party as much as our alumni do.”
