Sullivan recalled the event being held when she was a student but didn’t participate because she didn’t have her grandparents around.

“I think it’s awesome that grandparents get to come and bridge the gap and I get to have lunch with my grandson, Sullivan said. “It’s nice just the two of us together. I don’t we have ever done this; have lunch together, just the two of us. This is the first time and it’s very nice. I feel very special that Jacob wanted me to come have lunch with him.

Jacob said he liked the event because he got time out of class and got to have lunch with his grandmother.

This is the first time since the COVID 19 pandemic the district has held the event which had been a yearly tradition for the school since 1979.

East Liverpool students and their guests are served lunch in the school cafeteria during the bridging the Gap event. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

The event gives junior/senior high students the opportunity to invite a grandparent or a person special to the student into the school to spend the afternoon with them. Each student was able to invite up to two grandparents to the event which also served as a Grandparents Day event.

The event started with a health fair held in the fieldhouse, featuring a variety of service provider from the community including Ohio’s Hospice; John D. Rockefeller Career Center; Ohio Valley Home Health; Valley Oaks Care Center; Salem Visiting Nurses; Always Best Care; East Ohio College; Care Chapel-Calcutta; the YMCA; East Liverpool Health Department; Parkside Health Care Center; Community Action Agency; North Star Critical Care; East Liverpool Fire Department; Columbiana County Job and Family Services and East Liverpool City Hospital with information on women’s health, its behavioral health care unit, therapy, massage chair therapy, smoking cessation, pharmacy, radiology and dietary.

Students and their guests were able to walk through the health fair and have their blood sugar and cholesterol levels checked along with their blood pressure by medical students, medics, firefighters or medical professionals. They were able to obtain information on hospice, funeral planning services, elderly care, dietary needs, health and fitness and more.

Students who took a pledge to not use nicotine were able to get a free water bottle, T-shirt or other items from the East Liverpool Health Department exhibit.

For 1994 ELHS graduate Tammy Williams the event took her back to her high school days when she was the student during Bridge the Gap. She attended the event grandchildren Izayiah Barns and Gloria and Brian Williams

Lori Sullivan shares memories from her days as a student at East Liverpool High School with her grandson, Jacob Gump, as they walk through the school hallways to have lunch together during the Bridging the Gap event. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

“I’m glad they brought it back,” Williams said. “For the health fair, I don’t think they did that when I was in high school, so that is an added plus. ”

Following the health fair students and their guest were treated to lunch together in the school cafeteria and then headed to the auditorium where they saw a performance of “Grease” performed by Thespian Troop Three and a performance by the school band and choir.

More than 350 guests joined the students at the event. One of them was East Liverpool Mayor Bobby Smith who came to spend the afternoon with his granddaughter Laine.

Smith said he thought the event was wonderful and he is glad to see it brought back because when they held it while he was in school, he always looked forward to it as did a lot of others. Smith took advantage of the medical professionals at the health fair and stopped to have his blood pressure checked by members of the East Liverpool Fire Department.

Laine said she enjoyed having her grandfather at the event and spending time with him.

East Liverpool Mayor Bobby Smith has his blood pressure checked by members of the East Liverpool Fire Department at the Bridging the Gap Health Fair while his granddaughter Laine and Interim Fire Chief Antony Cumo look on. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

High School Principal Bryan Burson addressed the students and their guests as they gathered for lunch to thank everyone for attending and told them he was excited to be able to bring the tradition back.

Burson said the turnout was about what they expected and that when they have an event like this the community is well represented and residents do a good job of supporting the district and its activities.

Burson it’s always good when graduates come back to the school and talk about old times. Events such at Bridging the Gap provides former students opportunities to see some positive changes made over time including current education trends.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com

East Liverpool Interim Fire Chief Antony Cumo and firefighters John Ervin, Alex Estell and Josh Coil attended the Health Fair to promote the fire department, fire safety and offer blood pressure checks, (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Tammy Williams get her blood sugar checked by Jordan Bernardini, a LPN student at the John D. Rockefeller Career Center School of PN, during the Bridging the Gap Health Fair. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

Students who attended the Bridging the Gap Health Faith and took an oath to stay nicotine free were able to get a water bottle, T-shirt or other gift from the East Liverpool Health Department. (Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)