Alums Rick ’70 and Jo Keller ’68 had quite a memorable 56th wedding anniversary on Saturday. Rick and his classmates also celebrated the 55th class reunion during Alumni Weekend. Then, to top it off, the couple joined 32 other alumni couples for a new event, the Sweethearts Vow Renewal ceremony.
Arm in arm, the couples made their way from University Hall to the patio at the Bryenton Honors Center (formerly the President’s Home) for one of the most memorable moments of Alumni Weekend. There to greet them was “Reverend” Ashley Helmstetter, Vice President for Advancement, Alumni, and Community Relations and a registered pastor in the state of Ohio.
“Moments like this remind us why Heidelberg is more than a place – it’s where many stories began – stories of friendship, discovery, and for you, love. Today, we honor that journey,” Ashley told the couples.
The couples acknowledged that through the years, they have grown together, through laughter and tears, successes and setbacks, careers, children, and life in all of its unpredictability.
The reaffirmation of their love held special meaning as Heidelberg marks its 175-year legacy. It was a fitting moment to celebrate relationships that, like enduring institutions, thrive “not because they are perfect but because they are nurtured with intention, patience, and care,” Ashley said.
As the couples got ready to renewed their vows, they received a pair of pins, one featuring our beloved “H” inside a red heart and the other inside an orange heart. The pins represent the couples’ journey as Heidelberg students as well as the life they’ve built since their time on campus.
Then, they repeated this vow to one another:
“I still do.”
“I still choose you – today, tomorrow and always.”
“I promise to keep growing with you, to keep laughing with you, and to keep loving you with all that I am.”
Ashley’s wish for each of the couples was that their renewed vows serve as a reminder of they journey they’ve been on together and where they’re going.
“May Heidelberg’s history, now 175 years strong, inspire you to keep building your own legacy of love.”
And yes, they sealed it with a kiss.
The couples concluded the ceremony perfectly with a champagne toast and orange-frosted cupcakes – a new tradition beautifully blended with the old.