Activities for the 2015 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Homecoming, its 105th, take place Oct. 18 (Sunday) through Oct. 24 (Saturday).
For the second consecutive year, the celebration will kick off with a 5K walk/run, which starts at 9 a.m. Oct. 18 at the U. of I. Arboretum, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana. Sponsored by Greeks Supporting Homecoming, the Illini Union Board and Student Alumni Ambassadors, proceeds from the race will support the U. of I. Student Affairs Emergency Dean Fund.
After a week of campus tours and activities, the Homecoming Parade steps off at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 (Friday), starting at Sixth Street and Taft Drive in Champaign and ending at the Quad. Serving as grand marshal this year is Bill Geist, noted columnist, author, correspondent and U. of I. graduate. U. of I. band alumni are invited to perform in the parade through the Bands Alumni Network.
To see the parade route and a list of other events, go to the Homecoming website.
A Homecoming pep rally is set for Oct. 23 (Friday) at 7 p.m. at Foellinger Hall, 709 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, concluding with an orange-and-blue fireworks display.
Several events are set for Saturday, which are highlighted by the annual Homecoming football game, this year at 2:30 p.m. against Big Ten rival Wisconsin.
One of the annual highlights of Homecoming Week is the U. of I. Alumni Association’s acknowledgment of Illinois Comeback guests, a group of distinguished alumni.
This year’s Illini Comeback guests:
- Lyle E. Orwig, the owner of strategic communications consulting firm Charleston-Orwig, has maintained a passion for agriculture, marketing communications, reputation management and corporate social responsibility that continues to earn him national recognition. In 2006, the National Association of Farm Broadcasters gave him the Dix Harper Meritorious Service Award, the group’s highest recognition for a non-broadcaster. A recipient of the U. of I. ACES (College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Alumni Award of Merit in 2008, Orwig earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from the College of Agriculture in 1974.
- James E. Sparks, leader of The Sparks Group, a communications and branding firm he founded in 2012 to help companies propel growth and navigate the challenges that come with business cycles and expansion. As one of the original marketing members behind the successful launch of Discover Card, Sparks helped shepherd Discover’s growth into a $2.3 billion enterprise. A trustee for McCormick Theological Seminary and Thresholds, a nonprofit serving the homeless, Sparks is an adjunct professor of marketing strategy at National Louis University. A past University of Illinois Alumnus of the Year honoree, Sparks earned his bachelor’s degree in advertising and marketing from the university in 1977.
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