A group of former Alameda elementary school students submitted an application to the Guinness World Records for the “longest elapsed time for a class reunion.”

Eight former 1938 Sadler Elementary School students, now Franklin Elementary School, got together for an 83rd kindergarten reunion brunch at Ole’s Waffle Shop, on June 29, 2021. The event also posed as several 88th birthday celebrations for the classmates and friends they met in grammar and high school in Alameda. The former Sadler Elementary School students also brought family members to the reunion. The former classmates reminisced about their elementary school days.

The event was spearheaded by Porter Davis. Davis, a Korean War Veteran, said he was motivated to have the event after learning his fellow Sadler classmate Bobbie Hoepner’s husband died in 2019. Davis and Hoepner, who organizes their Alameda High School reunions every five years, got together at their 70th reunion and wondered how many of their former kindergarten classmates were still alive. Davis said he learned about eight to 10 were still alive. He told Hoepner that he thought it would be nice if they all got together for a kindergarten reunion.

They reached out to as many former classmates as they could and told them of their intention. Many of the former classmates were still in Alameda or close by. Davis, who lives in Larkspur, was joined at the event by classmates Hoepner, Bill Dowd, Noel Folsom, Allen Ames, John Rounds, Mike Wright, and Jacquie Lum, who traveled all the way from North Carolina.

After the event, Davis and Hoepner were wondering what’s the Guinness World record for longest time between a class reunion. After a quick Google search, they learned it was 70 years and happened in 2001. So the two of them decided to submit an application for “longest elapsed time for a class reunion.”

Davis submitted the application in November 2021. The Guinness World Record committee accepted it on Feb. 28. The Guinness committee is currently reviewing their application.

Davis and Hoepner also met with the principal, staff and teachers at Franklin Elementary School on Dec. 2, 2021, and gave them a framed picture and names of that famous 1938 kindergarten class.