Thank you to everyone who attended and supported our Banning High School Alumni Fundraiser on Saturday night. It was an unforgettable evening filled with energy, laughter, and nostalgia!

A heartfelt thank you to my BHS and ILWU sister Patricia Aguirre Brown ('88) and her husband Terry Brown for opening their beautiful home and hosting such an incredible event. Your generosity and hospitality are deeply appreciated.

Special thanks to our Host Committee for pushing the invitation, spreading the word, and helping make this night a huge success. The teamwork, enthusiasm, and love for our alma mater were on full display and we felt the love!

We planned on having one special guest, but we ended up with two!

Many thanks to my successor as Banning ASB President and current Long Beach City Councilwoman from the 8th District, my dear friend Tunua Thrash-Ntuk ('93), for representing and sharing an inspirational message about her journey from student council to city council.

Our second surprise guest was the legendary Mr. James Woodson, who dedicated more than 40 years to putting Banning HS on the map through the school’s award-winning and nationally recognized marching band, drill team, and flags program. Mr. Woodson blessed us with a soulful saxophone performance that brought us all to our feet! Shout out to siblings Hope ('72) and Rudy Mendoza ('81) for bringing Woody!

It didn’t take long for our drill team, cheer, and banner girls to perform the classics — “Fight Song,” “Big Red,” “Glamorous Life,” “Louie Louie,” “La Bamba,” — and of course, we ended the night singing “So Hard to Be a Pilot” in true Banning spirit.  The pictures below highlight Pilots from the 1960s to the 2020s and the bottom right photo features four ASB presidents.

There’s more!  Our DJ for the evening, Mike Herrera ('70), and his protégé, Jorge Ojeda ('20), surprised us with a spontaneous comedy set that had everyone in stitches. Their impromptu performance—along with the BHS trivia game and its clever, question-themed prizes—made for a fun night!  Thanks to Angel Parra ('78) for making that all happen!

Sincere thanks to everyone who helped — from the set-up crew to the clean-up crew, the folks who unexpectedly brought dishes to share, and especially the Aguirre family for making sure the food, drinks, and desserts kept flowing. The LAUSD-inspired Frito chili boats and coffee cake were a big hit!  I want to send an extra special shout-out to Patricia’s mom, Annamarie Ahumada Aguirre ('67), for going above and beyond to make sure the kitchen ran smoothly and that everyone was happy and comfortable. Every dish, every decoration, and every helping hand made the night memorable.

We are so close to reaching our fundraising goal for the event! If you haven’t contributed yet, please show your Pilot Pride by clicking below to make a donation in honor of our BHS Alumni Fundraiser.

Donate

From the bottom of my Big Red heart, thank you for keeping the Pilot spirit alive. I’m so proud to be a Banning High School alum and I am working very hard to make you all proud. Feel free to share this email with other Pilots so they can feel the excitement!

Once a Pilot, always a Pilot!

– Vivian Malauulu

BHS Class of 1992

Endorse

Volunteer

Attend