Reunion planned for former workers and members of Fogolar Furlan Club

Fogolar Furlan Club. Aug. 2023

A 65th reunion is taking place on Saturday, June 13, at the Fogolar Furlan Club on North Service Rd. in Windsor for former employees and club members.

It’s being organized by past employees.

One of those employees is Roma Santarossa Williamson. She started working at the club when she was 15 years old and worked there for about five years.

Santarossa Williamson is now a member of the club and feels it’s important for former staff members to get together and embrace the club for possibly the final time.

As reported in February, members of the club voted to sell the property, but the Fogolar will continue to operate and honour all existing bookings until the end of the year.

Santarossa Williamson says staff had great times at the club.

“It’s like our homes,” says Santarossa Williamson. “We met many of our husbands and many of our best friends that we still all have today, and I think we just really wanted to get together and see each other.”

She says a reunion wasn’t planned but came together after the announcement earlier this year.

“Since it’s such a very emotional time for a lot of us, I think we wanted to get back to that Fogolar and just embrace it maybe one last time,” she says.

Santarossa Williamson says the response for the reunion has been phenomenal.

“Probably one of our best responses we’ve had in a long, long time,” says Santarossa Williamson. “So that ultimately what made us go for it.”

She says the family portion of the reunion runs from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and includes games, crafts, and face-painting.

Santarossa Williamson says the adult portion starts at 6 p.m. and features a barbeque and live entertainment.

The event is outdoors on the patio.

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the club sold roughly 10 acres of surplus land to HD Development Group, which is now planning a multi-building residential project on the site.

The Fogolar Furlan Club opened in 1961.