A feel-good vibe

If Aurora was a game show, there were a lot of winners this weekend during A’ROR’N Days.
The annual summer celebration lived up to its billing yet again as a genuine, feel-good weekend highlighting all the things that make small-town living unique. There is just something special about this gig, especially around the noon hour on Saturday, which makes anyone who has a connection to Aurora, past or present, proud to call it home.
The News-Register staff has its hands full covering all there is to cover during A’ROR’N Days, which is reflected in this week’s edition. But truth be told, every photo opp and every interview for a reaction story published on the front page is filled with positive energy.
And why is that, do you suppose? There is a lot to celebrate here, for starters, with a community on the move proud to share its latest developments, projects and accomplishments. That’s not the case just anywhere in America these days, which is in and of itself cause for celebration. Add to that a sense of connection, whether it be family ties or Husky pride, and you have a vibrant atmosphere where folks seek each other out to share smiles, stories and memories.
Part of the fun for me is taking alumni photos, where former Huskies pause in their time together to document another moment in time with their classmates. The vibe is always upbeat at those gatherings, where friends who have a common bond like no other are catching up on each other’s lives. You can feel the sense of connection, and the older those classes get the more those Husky memories seem to mean. Those people, and those shared memories, are often what shaped them in some way.
The late Jim Schneider had a great idea 34 years ago and his vision for A’ROR’N Days just continues to get better with each passing year. Schneider’s idea then, and the formula still today, is to lock in the fourth Saturday of June as AHS alumni weekend, then fill up the schedule with all kinds of activities to make it a must-see and do event. It’s pretty simple, and it simply works, due in large part to the planning committee and many volunteers who take on various aspects to create an agenda that has something for everyone.
With another A’ROR’N Days is in the books we look forward to seeing A-Town in its finest hour, same time next year.
-- Kurt Johnson