tarted in 1987 at the request of the Board of Trustees of the Upper Arlington Education Foundation, the Upper Arlington Alumni Association is a strong organization whose purpose is to keep UAHS Alumni, faculty and friends connected both to each other and to the school district. There are few public high schools in the country who are fortunate enough to have such an active and interested Association! UAAA, a sub-fund of the UAEF, now maintains a database of more than 30,000 alumni records.

The UAAA Web site, Bearalums.com, offers an email directory for each graduating class, along with alumni and community news. The Association provides updated rosters for class reunions as well as mailing labels for various UAHS groups wishing to contact their alumni about special events and reunions. Our email database now contains more than 12,000 entries, having started with merely 314 email addresses in 2001, when Bearalums.com was born.

UAAA produces a monthly newsletter, Traditions, which contains news of class reunions, articles about alumni and the district, and class news. Once mailed twice per year, our newsletter is now delivered via email, allowing us to distribute this publication more affordably and in an environmentally responsible manner. If you are an alum of UAHS, you can sign up at Bearalums.com and receive your own monthly issue of Traditions.

For years, UAAA has hosted a Block Party at Barrington Elementary School after the annual Upper Arlington Fourth of July parade; for the past ten years, the event has been sponsored by John Kost, UAHS Class of 1974 This party has become a community tradition, offering a central gathering place for residents to enjoy great food and camaraderie on the Fourth. UAAA has also hosted three Alumni Night picnics, held before the first home football game. You can see photos of all these events at Bearalums.com's Photo Gallery page.

Each year, on the Fourth of July, UAAA presents two alumni awards. The Outstanding Alumnus Award is given to an alum who has generously dedicated his or her time to the service of the Upper Arlington Alumni Association and its mission. In 2011, our honoree was the late Hastings music teacher and director, Suzie Matthews, Class of 1976.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to an alum in recognition of his or her personal, educational or career achievement. The 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Dan Minutilli, Class of 1976.

See the list of other UAAA honorees here.

In 2012, UAAA helds its first fundraiser, The Golden Bear [Pre-Hibernation] Rock Fest. The November event celebrated the 50-year anniversary of The Ravens, a local rock band who has provided entertainment for Central Ohio for the past half-century. The fundraiser was such a success that UAAA plans to have another dance party in the fall of 2013.

Please visit Bearalums.com to learn more about UAAA and, if you are an Upper Arlington High School alum, please make sure that we have current contact information for you. Thank you!