BOLIVAR, Mo. — Southwest Baptist University alumni and friends will celebrate Homecoming on Friday, Sept. 28 and Saturday, Sept. 29 on the Bolivar campus.
“Homecoming weekend is incredibly special,” said Holly Bridge, director of alumni engagement. “We are expecting another record crowd for Homecoming this year with more than 1,300 people registered. It is a great time for alumni to reconnect and share their memories of SBU.”
The celebration begins on Friday with Honors Chapel at 10 a.m. in Mabee Chapel. The
program features the introduction of the Homecoming court and the presentation of
alumni honors. Life Service Awards will be presented to the late Kathy Arnett ’78,
Daniel Duckworth ’79, John Murphy ’70 and John Rush ’61, while Carolyn Swinfard Hampel
’61, ’74 will be honored with the Edwin Lightfoot Distinguished Alumni Award.
Friday also includes the 50-Year Club luncheon at 11:30 a.m., followed by the Class of ’68 reunion from 1-3 p.m. The annual Student Bed Races run at 4:30 p.m. on the Burnidge Memorial Forum, and the SBU volleyball team takes on Lindenwood University at 6 p.m. in the Meyer Wellness and Sports Center. The alumni banquet (6:30-8:30 p.m.) and alumni dessert reception (8 p.m.) wrap up Friday’s festivities.
The Bearcat 5K run/walk and 1-mile fun run/walk kicks off the activities at 8:15 a.m. Saturday. Included in the many events on Saturday is the alumni breakfast at 8:30 a.m., followed by the Homecoming parade at 10 a.m. The Bearcat Bash, which is from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., includes a meet-and-greet with new SBU President Dr. Eric A. Turner. The SBU football game vs. Missouri S&T starts at 1 p.m., with the king and queen coronation taking place at halftime.
The Bearcat Bash, a family friendly event with food and activities, is free for those who pre-registered. For those who did not pre-register, tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children.
“This is Dr. Turner’s first Homecoming as SBU president,” Bridge said. “He and his wife, Barbara, are excited to meet the many Bearcats who are making the journey back to Bolivar for this year’s Homecoming.”
While pre-registration is currently closed, tickets for all Homecoming events can be purchased at the Homecoming registration booth in the Student Union on Friday from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
For more information and listing of events for SBU Homecoming, go to advance.SBUniv.edu/Homecoming or contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at (417) 328-1806.
*Published: 9-25-18