Anybody who was familiar with San Pedro High School in its early stages, 1971 and onwards, is bound to have known Al Felly. He was a renowned florist of Madison, Wisconsin, USA. During one of his first visits to San Pedro, he fell in love with the children and people of San Pedro and he commenced providing invaluable assistance to San Pedro High, so much that he became San Pedro High’s most valuable benefactor.
Perhaps mention of some of the items he provided would give you an idea of his work: Student desks, office furniture, typewriters, books of all kinds, calculators, carpentry tools, sewing machines, stenograph and printing machines, stationery, and supplies for the new building like cement mixer, paint, electrical wire, lights, architectural plans, and more. Got the idea?
He also single handedly did the school yearbook, and shipped tons of prizes and gifts that were used in our annual school fairs to raise money for our new building. Al Felly eventually became known to San Pedro as Uncle Felly and is arrival every year warranted a student delegation with a banner at the airstrip. His departure brought a sense of sadness which he counteracted with a hot dog party for the entire school at his official hotel, Holiday Hotel.
Felly’s good name grew along with the high school and even today there is a school group known as Felly’s House. In this Flashback Al Felly addressed the first Graduation in 1976. Hats off to a noble, hard working and charismatic man who embedded San Pedro in his heart and still makes presentations in the USA to talk about his Island school in the Island in the Sun as he called Ambergris Caye.
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