{"id":16829,"date":"2025-08-07T17:40:54","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T17:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=16829"},"modified":"2025-08-07T17:43:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T17:43:49","slug":"more-than-a-reunion-how-john-glover-turned-bulldog-pride-into-a-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/07\/more-than-a-reunion-how-john-glover-turned-bulldog-pride-into-a-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"More Than A Reunion: How John Glover Turned Bulldog Pride Into A Movement"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Asia Nail<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Truth Reporter
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you ever seen a family reunion so big it fills a city park with thousands of people? That\u2019s exactly what happens every year at the Scott High School Alumni Weekend<\/em><\/strong>. And behind it all is a man named John Glover<\/strong>, a proud Bulldog who\u2019s been helping to organize this celebration for the past 15 years.<\/p>\n

But this isn\u2019t just a party\u2014it\u2019s a homecoming, a giveback, and a giant family hug rolled into one.<\/p>\n

From One Class to a Community<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It all started with a simple class picnic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Class of 1986 used to do their own thing,\u201d Glover shared. \u201cThen my class\u2014Class of ’89\u2014planned our 10-year reunion, and it just grew from there.\u201d He and business partner, Tyrone Cleveland, added Friday and Saturday events to go along with the Sunday picnic. What began as a one-class event turned into a celebration for all decades <\/em>of Scott High graduates.<\/p>\n

But when their dear friend Coco, who helped plan the early reunions, lost her life unexpectedly, John and Tyrone weren\u2019t sure if they could keep going. That changed when people started coming from all over the country just for the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt became bigger than us,\u201d Glover said. \u201cWhen folks say they haven\u2019t been back to Toledo since high school\u2014but they come for this\u2014it means something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Scott Bulldog Spirit<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So what makes Scott High School so special?<\/p>\n

Glover\u2019s eyes lit up as he remembered his high school days. \u201cThose were some of the best years of my life,\u201d he said. \u201cNo bills, just school, friends and fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back then, Scott was the only predominantly Black high school in the city, and that meant something powerful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was this feeling\u2014like it was us against the world,\u201d Glover said. \u201cWhen the media ignored the good and only reported the bad, we stuck together even tighter.\u201d<\/p>\n

That tight bond still shows up today. And it\u2019s not just about current friendships\u2014Scott\u2019s pride runs deep. For Glover\u2019s family, it goes back generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom is 93 years old,\u201d he shared. \u201cOut of nine siblings, eight of us went to Scott. And that\u2019s not even counting all the nieces, nephews and cousins.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Weekend With Heart<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Scott Alumni Weekend isn\u2019t just a one-day cookout\u2014it\u2019s a full-blown celebration, organized by decade.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you graduated in the 50s or 60s, your meet-up spot is the Blue Gill Fishing Club,\u201d Glover explained. \u201cThe 70s are at Golden Rule, and the 80s and 90s are at what used to be the Lighthouse. We try to give every generation their space to reconnect.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also brunch, bingo, and the Black Affair\u2014a Saturday night event where everyone dresses in black and raises money for Scott seniors headed to college. But Sunday\u2019s picnic at Detwiler Park is the crown jewel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started at Ottawa Park,\u201d Glover said, \u201cbut it got so big we couldn\u2019t go back. We had to move to bigger spots like the GM Powertrain Park\u2014and now Detwiler.\u201d<\/p>\n

Imagine thousands of people bringing grills, games, music, and memories to one giant field. \u201cIt\u2019s like one huge cookout where everybody\u2019s your cousin,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n

Teachers Who Taught More Than Books<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When Glover talks about what made Scott so meaningful, it\u2019s not just the parties or the pride\u2014it\u2019s the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had teachers who really cared,\u201d he said. \u201cThey lived in our neighborhoods. They\u2019d invite us over, talk to us after school, check on us.\u201d<\/p>\n

One teacher, Mr. Roy Allen, even paid John $75 every two weeks to mow his lawn. \u201cHe was a mentor and a father figure. Told me to grab a snack if I got thirsty. That kind of trust? You don\u2019t forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That feeling of family\u2014that people at Scott truly looked out for one another\u2014is what Glover says shaped who he is today.<\/p>\n

Giving Back, Year After Year<\/strong><\/h3>\n

John and Tyrone don\u2019t just throw a reunion\u2014they give back all year long.<\/p>\n

From raising scholarship money to giving away 300 turkeys at Thanksgiving, their commitment goes far beyond the weekend. \u201cWe help feed kids in schools, donate Christmas gifts, and support places like the Mom\u2019s House,\u201d Glover explained.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not about getting credit\u2014it\u2019s just who they are. \u201cSomebody helped me once,\u201d he said. \u201cNow it\u2019s my turn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glover is also passionate about supporting Black-owned businesses. \u201cIt\u2019s very important to me,\u201d he said. \u201cWhenever we can use a Black-owned venue or vendor, we do. It\u2019s a chance for them to connect with new customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

That support even extends to practical needs\u2014like making sure people with disabilities have proper restrooms at the picnic. \u201cWe always make sure everyone feels welcome,\u201d Glover said.<\/p>\n

Weathering the Curveballs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Of course, pulling off something this big isn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year, it feels like we get hit with a curveball two weeks before the event,\u201d Glover said with a laugh. \u201cSomething always goes wrong. But we get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n

And despite the challenges, one thing never changes: the vibe.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn all these years, with all those people, we\u2019ve never had an incident at the picnic,\u201d he said. \u201cNot one.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the power of love, community, and good old-fashioned Bulldog pride.<\/p>\n

A Legacy That Lives On<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For John Glover, the Scott High School Alumni Weekend isn\u2019t just a reunion\u2014it\u2019s a reminder.<\/p>\n

A reminder that schools can be more than buildings. They can be villages. They can be home. And when that home raises you right, you come back\u2014not just to visit, but to lift others up too.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re able to do it, we do it,\u201d Glover said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s just how it\u2019s always going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Asia Nail The Truth Reporter Have you ever seen a family reunion so big it fills a city park with thousands of people? That\u2019s exactly what happens every year at the Scott High School Alumni Weekend. And behind it all is a man named John Glover, a proud Bulldog who\u2019s been helping to organize […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16834,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,7,250,17],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[305],"class_list":["post-16829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover_story","category-education","category-local-news","category-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16829"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16837,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16829\/revisions\/16837"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16829"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=16829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}