All are welcome, including all Alumni, retired and current faculty and staff, past and present members of the BOE, anyone who lives in the district, friends of the district, and anyone who loves to have fun singing
First rehearsal is Monday, September 29th, from 7pm to 830pm
We are meeting in Room 188 in the high school (music wing park in the Berryman lot and enter through the music wing door)
For more information or any questions, please contact the Alumni Office 716-362-8259
The Amherst Central Alumni Foundation, Inc is proud to announce that seven alumni, including two posthumously, have been selected to receive its prestigious 2025 Distinguished AlumniAward and will be honored at a reception on October 23rd at Sean Patrick’s Emerald Island Banquet room. Among the recipients are Rev. Stephen Biegner ’89 for his outstanding contributions to the WNY community as Pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran church and as the founder of the Daily Bread food truck; Archibald Dean ’55 for his contributions as an international businessman and author of a best-selling guidebook; Jeremy Jacobs and Margaret Davis Jacobs ’58 for Jeremy’s contributions as a global leader in hospitality as Chairman of Delaware North Companies, and Jeremy and Margaret for their decades of philanthropy; Julie Pace ’00 for her contributions as an American journalist and her positive impact as Executive Editor and Senior Vice President of the Associated Press; Dr. David Dean ’48 (posthumously) for his outstanding contributions to cardiology as Chief Cardiologist at the Buffalo Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center and, also for the medical innovations he pioneered and research papers he published; Douglas Volgenau ’55 (posthumously) for his distinguished career in the military as Rear Admiral of the United States Navy and for his continued support of the Amherst Central Alumni Foundation, Inc.
The Amherst Central Alumni Foundation, Inc is proud to announce the recipients of the alumni’s 2025Educator Emeritus Award. This award is bestowed upon an educator who is held in the highest regard for his or her contributions while at service at Amherst. It is designed to embrace all staff, grades pre-K-12, whether at the High School, Middle School, Harlem Road Elementary School, Eggert Road Elementary School, Smallwood Drive Elementary School or Windermere Blvd. Elementary School. This year’s recipients are Dr. Dale Bosworth, Middle School art teacher; Joanna Ransom, third grade teacher at Smallwood Drive Elementary School; Steven Thomas, High School music teacher; David Maul (posthumously), principal of Windermere Drive Elementary school; and Carolyn Russell(posthumously), high school Aide and member of the Amherst Central Alumni Choral.
A reception will be held on Thursday, October 23rd at 5:30-7:30pm at Sean Patrick’s Emerald Isle Banquet room at 3480 Millersport Hwy., Getzville, NY 14068. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit our website at www.amherstalumni.org or contact the alumni office at 716-362-8259. Tickets are $40.
Age 72. Beloved wife of 50 years to John A. Golonka; devoted mother of Jason Golonka and Matthew Golonka; loving sister of Kathie (Michael) Saveliev and Susan Campanella (Steven) Roney; cherished sister-in-law Janice (Jeff) Pierce; dearest daughter of the late Frank J. and Kathleen (nee Del Principe) Campanella; she will be sadly missed by many adored nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, family, and friends. The family will be present Thursday from 4-7 PM at the (Delaware Chapel) AMIGONE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 1132 Delaware Ave. (near W. Ferry). Family and friends are invited to assemble Friday at 9:00 AM to attend a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at St. Leo the Great Church, 885 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst, NY 14226. Interment to follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation (A Taste for Life) at atasteforlifebuffalo.com. Share condolences at www.AMIGONE.com
Age 86 of Lodi. Passed away after a brief illness. She was born in Lima, Ohio to parents, Harry and Martha Virginia Hadsell, and was one of three children. Her family moved to Buffalo, New York and she graduated from Amherst Central High School in 1957. She began her family in Buffalo and worked for the town of Amherst’s Assessor Office. In 1994, she moved to California to be closer to her children and grandchildren. Here she worked at Valley Mountain Regional Center until her retirement. Though she made her home in California, Shirley was a diehard Buffalo Bills fan throughout her life. She had a warm and welcoming nature and was a dedicated mother, grandmother and great grandmother. In Buffalo, she was the “neighborhood mom” and kept her door (and kitchen) open to all the children on their street; everyone could stop in for a snack and a chat with “Shirl.” She was still a mom to many, even to the nurses who cared for her at Lodi Nursing and Rehab. Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Richard Hadsell and his wife, Barbara; her children’s father, John W. Hartung; and granddog, Django. She is survived by her loving sons, Mike Hartung (Monica) and Gary Hartung; grandchildren, Janae Diede (Cody) and Kevin Hartung; great-grandchildren, Remington Diede and Cody Diede; sister, Carol Munn (Larry); granddog, Wrangler, and many more dear nieces, nephews, family and friends. A Celebration of Life will be held from 1-4 pm on Sunday, July 13th at Side Hustle Brew/Riaza Wines in Lodi. Memorial contributions may be made in Shirley’s honor to: Lodi House, a community center helping women and children.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
We were delighted to present the inaugural Amherst Central Alumni Foundation Dimp Wagner Scholarship in honor of Donald Dimp Wagner, Class of 1948, on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, during the annual award ceremony at Amherst Central High School.
The late Anne Harding Joyce, Class of 1970, played a crucial role in connecting us with Dimp Wagner and facilitating the establishment of this scholarship. The scholarship criteria were designed to reflect Dimp’s legacy at Amherst and beyond, awarding a $5,000 scholarship to a student who embodies similar characteristics, interests, and qualities as Dimp, including a passion for Amherst and its students, active involvement in school activities, and dedication to the community. During his time at Amherst, Dimp served as President of the National Honor Society and was a member of the Marching Band, Amherst Symphony, choir, and was an accomplished athlete.
Dimp was generous in his support of the Alumni Foundation, and you may recognize his name on the track located at the back of the school, which was named in his honor following a significant donation.
He entrusted us with the establishment of a foundation within the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, enabling the Alumni Foundation to uphold Dimp’s legacy in perpetuity through the creation of this scholarship.
Our inaugural scholarship recipient exemplifies many of Dimp’s admirable qualities. She has demonstrated a strong desire to serve her local community and give back to a place that has provided her with a sense of safety, acceptance, and access to a quality education supported by inspiring teachers. She plans to attend the University at Buffalo to pursue a degree in Information Technology and Management, with aspirations of building a career in information security analysis.
It was our distinct honor to present the inaugural Amherst Central Alumni Foundation Dimp Wagner Scholarship to Mehrnaz Amini of the Class of 2025.
Tiger Tracks 