Having observed and admired the hard work by its steering committee for the past 18 months, we had high hopes for the inaugural Franklin High School Mega Reunion.

Those lofty expectations were met and exceeded last weekend, when more than 400 alumni and spouses from FHS classes of the 1970s gathered for two action-packed days of fun and reflection.

The reunion was a boost for Franklin on several fronts.

It was a joy seeing old friends reunite in the community that continues to bond them decades after they went their separate ways. Many never left the area after high school, choosing to raise their families and build their professional careers right here. The others fanned out across the country — and even overseas in one case — and likewise have prospered personally and professionally. Regardless, almost to a person, they give this community a lot of the credit for making them who they are.

The reunion also was a financial shot in the arm for a community that sorely needed one. Reunion-goers stayed in local hotels and ate in local restaurants, filling merchant coffers that have been pinched by the recent loss of the community’s anchor employer.

Perhaps most important, the reunion lifted spirits in the community. For a weekend at least, participants got their minds off of the paper mill closure, this summer’s drought and other misfortunes that have put our town in a collective funk. It was good to see people smiling again.

We commend the small group of volunteers who worked tirelessly for more than a year to organize the reunion, which was a major logistical undertaking. They should be very proud of the final result.