Plans are fully underway for OLLU’s involvement in Fiesta® 2106. The University’s annual medal will be released during a campus event after Spring Break. Once again OLLU’s award-winning medal has been designed by Cathy Maule, OLLU brand manager and graphic designer. The conceptualization and creation of floats by Elizabeth Longoria, events manager, for the Texas Cavaliers River Parade and Fiesta Flambeau® Parade began several months ago. After four years, the University has decided to take at least a year off from staging its signature Fiesta event, Best of the West.
Dan Yoxall, vice president for institutional advancement says, “Best of the West has had three objectives since its inception in 2012: to celebrate the food, music and culture of the Westside in a fun, family setting, to increase the visibility of OLLU across the city, and to raise scholarship dollars for OLLU students through the Lake Fund.
“Its success to date can be directly attributed to the hard work of full-time staff and OLLU volunteers – including faculty, staff, alumni, and students – combined with the incredible food, artists, and musicians, and underwritten by generous corporate and community sponsors.
“And while we are fully committed this year and in the future to producing, funding, and staffing OLLU floats for the River Parade on Monday, April 18, and the Fiesta Flambeau Parade on Saturday, April 23, as well as the popular OLLU medal, we must be realistic about the resources required to produce Best of the West.
“In terms of real dollars for the hard costs of a major event – regardless of attendance numbers and ticket sales – and the incredible time required of staff for several months in advance it is in the best interest of OLLU to step back and assess Best of the West itself. We will seek input from our community as we look to its future.”