To the Unsung Heroes of Homecoming

"Maybe Homecoming isn’t a game or a score – maybe, perhaps, it’s a little bit more.” –  “Welcome to ZouVille,” Chi Omega and Delta Chi (Mizzou Homecoming 2016 Traditions Level Winners)

At Mizzou, this is true literally and figuratively – Mizzou Homecoming isn’t just about a football game.

Although Mizzou was one of the first to celebrate homecoming when Coach Chester Brewer called our alumni “home” for a football game against kU in 1911, the tradition has grown into so much more over the past 105 years:

Today, Mizzou Homecoming is also about a parade and the largest student-run blood drive in the nation. It’s about a canned food drive and campus decorations and talent show and flag football tournament and step show. It’s a celebration of all things Mizzou — a celebration led entirely by our students.

Above all, Mizzou Homecoming is about tradition and pride.

It’s about generosity and selflessness.

Every year, our students give selflessly of their time, talent and treasure for Mizzou Homecoming — for the sake of their alma mater, for the mid-Missouri community, for the alumni who have come before them and all who will come after.

Every year, Mizzou students collectively donate tens of thousands of hours to Homecoming– hours that they could choose to spend in many other ways, but they choose to give back to their University.

Scrupulously wrapping tissue paper around pencils to pomp larger-than-life Campus Decorations

Patiently waiting in a long line to give blood to save three lives

Tirelessly hammering together parade floats

Artfully painting banners

Meticulously practicing for Homecoming Talent or the Step Show

To the unsung heroes of Mizzou Homecoming —

To those who dedicated a Sunday afternoon to collecting canned food donations outside a grocery store

To those who built their pairing’s scaffolding for Campus Decorations

To those who pulled props on and off the stage for a Homecoming Talent production

To those who got up really early to participate in one of the best Homecoming Parades in the country

(And those who stayed up really late to measure the spots for the parade lineup the night before)  

To all who sacrificed to keep Mizzou Tradition strong and the Mizzou Family intact —

Because of you, Mizzou Homecoming is still the best and the ultimate Tail of Tradition to come home to — 105 years later.

Your alumni thank you. Your alumni association thanks you. Your efforts and passion help define our motto of, “Making Mizzou Stronger.”

For Mizzou,

Todd McCubbin, MEd ‘95 Executive Director, Mizzou Alumni Association