Families of Penn State Berks students will experience life on campus, while alumni will reconnect when the college hosts its annual Family and Homecoming Weekend on Friday, September 27?Sunday, September 29, 2013. The theme of this year?s event is ?Ohana Means Family.? The program will include activities for the entire family, with educational, social, and athletic events that showcase the campus. Events are open to all attendees with the exception of the Alumni Reunion and luau, which requires preregistration.
The festivities will begin on Friday with an all-day float-building party from 9 a.m.?9 p.m. in the Beaver Community Center parking lot in preparation for the next day?s Homecoming Parade. The night?s activities conclude with a bonfire, sponsored by the Student Government Association, from 10?11 p.m. in front of the Luerssen Building.
Check-in for families begins on Saturday from noon-2 p.m. at the Beaver Community Center; the first 200 families will receive a free gift. Event schedules and updates along with tickets to purchase for THON?s bingo will also be available.
As part of the Alumni Reunion, alumni are invited to a lunch buffet with a Hawaiian luau theme under the alumni tent on Luerssen Field at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Those who wear Penn State and/or Hawaiian attire will be eligible to win a prize. Attendees are asked to reserve their seat by completing the registration form online at berks.psu.edu/Alumni/alumni or by calling the Alumni Office at 610-396-6057. Mini alumni reunions for special interest groups will also be held from 2-4 p.m. under the alumni tent.
All attendees are invited to attend a picnic at noon on Saturday in the tent on the Perkins Plaza lawn. Other Perkins Plaza activities include a carnival with rock climbing, rides, and carnival treats; mini golf; Hawaiian lei-making; and a liquid nitrogen ice cream demonstration.
The Homecoming Parade will begin at 12:30 p.m., and floats built by student and alumni organizations will be on display. The parade will be followed by Homecoming Court, where the student queen and king will be crowned at the Perkins Plaza.
An ?Egg Scramble? (prize hunt), Plants of Penn State Berks walking tour, carriage rides, R.A.V.E. (A Visual Arts Theatre Experience), pick-a-duck, vehicles display, bath tub derby, children?s Dr. Seuss storytime, THON bingo, and a Hawaiian hula performance round out the afternoon?s events. Parents and families can also attend a program geared toward their specific questions and concerns at 4:30 p.m. in Room 3, Perkins Student Center.
?Crazy Bob?s Superhero Dinner Party? will be held from 5?7 p.m. in Tully?s followed by an outdoor movie night on the Perkins Plaza, hosted by the Penn State Berks Alumni Society and Berks County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association, starting at 8:00 p.m.
On Sunday, students will host a flapjack fundraiser at Applebee?s, located at 1905 Ridgewood Ave in Wyomissing, from 8?10:30 a.m. Proceeds will benefit THON, the IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon held at Penn State University Park each year, which is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, THON benefits children with cancer and their families.
For more information about Parents and Family Weekend, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 610-396-6052 or the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.
