GROVE CITY — Despite their affinity for sunshine, participants in the annual Grove City area snowbirds reunion could not be deterred by pouring rain.

A gathering Tuesday at Grove City Memorial Park brought together about 30 area residents who spend their winters in the St. Cloud and Kissimmee areas of Florida.

The tureen lunch offered attendees the opportunity to reminisce about past travel and to talk about their summer plans, while holding plates and food down against the winds of an impending thunderstorm.

Despite any shared hobbies or pastimes, the weather dominated Tuesday's gathering, providing picnic challenges and many laughs.

Though many of those present Tuesday were retired, Grady Cooper, 84, of Slippery Rock said his sun-seeking trips began long before the freedom of retirement.

Cooper and his brother Glenn accompanied their parents on yearly treks southward to avoid the Northern snow.

"We were in the building supply business, so in the winter, we'd go down there and build some houses,"said Cooper.

The Coopers' parents, Harry and Marinda, began traveling to the St. Cloud area after meeting some New Castle residents who spent their winters there.

"We used to stay down there for three months for less money than other people who went to Miami for a week," Cooper said.

A longtime tradition in St. Cloud, and other Florida towns and cities, is for snowbirds from the same state to plan winter reunions.

To the best of Cooper's memory, his family held the first summer reunion in 1930 at the family's Pennsylvania home.

Since then, the annual event has attracted crowds of up to 50 with the common winter destination.

Though the Cooper brothers and friend Lloyd Kildoo are the longest friends and reunion participants, many have been attending for more than 10 years.

Tracey Knox of Mercer Township is the second generation in her family to attend the reunions.

Knox began attending the reunion about five years ago, accompanying her mother to the picnic until her death.

Though work prevents her from spending extended periods in St. Cloud, she still visits her mother's Florida home, now owned by her sister.

For Knox, the reunion provided a chance to share memories with her mother's longtime friends.

This year, Cooper shared pictures taken in 1917 and 1924 of his family's makeshift camper, a small shed placed atop an old milk truck.

"At that time it was top of the line," he said.

The rectangular box constructed by Cooper's father left only the vehicle's engine and wheels exposed. Front-facing windows served as the vehicle's windshield.

While the family shared the chore of packing and traveling in their small camper, Cooper faced the annual challenge of changing schools just three months into his classes.

With differing curriculums, Cooper said he would be ahead of his class when he arrived in Florida and then behind his Pennsylvania classmates in the fall.

"You'd work hard to get caught up and pass," he said.

While he and his brother attended school and pursued after-school jobs and his father worked, Cooper said the family still found time to enjoy their surroundings.

"Back in those days, the main thing was hunting and fishing," Cooper said.

Lloyd Kildoo, 69, a farm owner in the Portersville area, said despite growth in the St. Cloud region, he and Cooper still find places to fish.

The pair also make daily visits to gyms in the area.

Like Kildoo and Cooper, several of the snowbirds keep in touch in both their Northern and Southern homes, eliminating any potential for feeling lonely.

"We live about four blocks apart down there, so I can keep my eye on him,"joked Cooper.

In addition to visiting with friends and enjoying the good weather, Mary Jane Snyder of Slippery Rock said her yearly treks make visiting her grandchildren in both states easier.

Kildoo noted that having reliable friends at home makes his three-month trips easier.

"We have a good farm manager,"said Kildoo. "He mails the important mail to me every week.

After years of practice and the purchase of a newer motor home, Cooper's trips south are no hassle.

"I keep clothes down there. I go down with a just tooth brush and my medication," he said.