Good way to say Farewell in these times

February 19, 2021 7:56 AM

Two good people who started a theatre training school and built a wonderful community are leaving our city for family reasons. They've been here for almost ten years and we are going to miss them badly. We'd like to send them off in grand style. Covid makes this difficult. A Zoom party would be low down on the list just because Zoom. But what else? They are gone in two weeks.
posted by storybored to Human Relations (5 answers total)

Gather better replicates the "in person party" experience than Zoom.
posted by oceano at 8:00 AM on February 19, 2021 [1 favorite]

The drive by parade is a lot more of an event. Or a socially distanced foot parade! In costumes!
posted by DarlingBri at 8:08 AM on February 19, 2021 [3 favorites]

+1 on Gather. I've been to a few Gather events in the last year (including my own office Christmas party) and it's the one thing that captures the ability to move in and out of the little conversations that happen in a party without everyone talking at once. Plus, the little worlds you get to set up are a real treat.
posted by Alison at 8:19 AM on February 19, 2021

I'd give people a template of a playbill and have them fill it in with themselves in the starring (or appropriate role) and then you could drop off a stack of "fake" playbills honouring all the memories people have of the time with them.
posted by warriorqueen at 8:30 AM on February 19, 2021

Could you figure out the route they will take out of town and put people with big signs along the way on the day they leave? I'm thinking big signs with messages of love and thanks. Maybe big, blown up photos of some of the high points of what they have done while living there. Everyone gathers to give them the most memorable send off.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 9:35 AM on February 19, 2021 [2 favorites]