Class of '73 donates to food pantry, issues challenge

Some of them have achieved retirement status, others will within the next seven years, and they are the Libby High School Class of 1973.

They came together last weekend for their 40th reunion.

This group of what was 196 students remains close, having just lost 24 members in the four decades since they’ve graduated.

Like all classes, they have scattered about the globe, but have returned to celebrate where their lives have taken them, share their successes and to pay homage to those who are no more.

On Friday, on the morn of the first of their two festive evenings, representatives of the class gathered to give back to Libby, and in this instance, it was to present a $3,500 check to the Libby Food Pantry.

“It’s our way of paying forward for the success we’ve had,” said Dan Youso, a successful Washington crane operator who got his start in Libby lifting freshly cut timber onto trucks. “It’s just something we all wanted to do.”

Youso then issued a challenge to all LHS classes.

“We’d challenge all classes to match us or do more,” he said.

The monetary gift was just what the food pantry needs as it gears up for the fall.

“This could provide about 1,000 meals,” said Libby Food Pantry Director Kathy Lauer. “This is absolutely fantastic. This was just out of the blue. When (Dan) said he wanted to give us $3,500, you could have knocked me over with a feather.”

Youso and the clan of classmates who gathered with him then began to talk of ways to further assist the food pantry. They learned the pantry has nine deep freezers spaced throughout its site at the former Asa Wood Elementary School, It just makes sense that walk-in freezer would be more efficient, Youso said.

“We’re not going to promise it, but we’ll work on it,” Youso said.

It was then that classmate Mike Munro, owner of Treasure Mountain Restaurant and Casino, said he has a contact that may help with the purchase of a used walk-in freezer.

Assessing the need, group determined a 10-by-14-foot freezer would be adequate, and they agreed to work toward that end.

The class spent Friday evening at Treasure Mountain Casino and Restaurant and then the next night at MK Steakhouse, raising another $2,873.73. Another $500 went to the Lincoln County Veterans Memorial Foundation. The total given to the pantry was $6,373.73.

“I added the extra to get the 73s,” said Linda Buti, a reference to the Class of ’73.

There was much playfulness among the group at the pantry, giving a hint of what the next two nights would be.

“You see? I get no respect from these ladies. Still. Nothing’s changed in 40 years,” Youso mused.

Still, just as this class came together, its movers and shakers likely will come up with a freezer.

“We’re so grateful,” Lauer said. “How can we say enough?”