A teacher promised his 1978 class an eclipse party. He just hosted it.

For 16 years, Moriarty told his students that he would put an advertisement in their local newspaper, the Democrat and Chronicle, in 2024 with details about the gathering. His students didn’t think much of it.

“The things that you get asked at that age is, ‘Where do you see yourself in five years or 10 years?’” said Kevin Thompson, who took Moriarty’s class in 1982. “To think 40-plus years down the road was almost impossible to comprehend.”

In 1998, Moriarty became a principal of a junior high school in Fairport, N.Y. He never forgot about the plan for the 2024 eclipse, and neither did his students. When he ran into them at local restaurants and stores, he told them they were still going to meet.

And another source: The Guardian has links to other papers for more photos of the event. New York teacher fulfills promise first made to 1978 class and throws eclipse party
Patrick Moriarty brings together about 100 former students of his to watch solar eclipse from his driveway in Rochester