Alumni Award and Town & Gown awards

 MACOMB, IL -- Celebrating Town & Gown, the annual signature Western Illinois University and Macomb community event, will kick off 2021 WIU Homecoming activities Thursday, Sept. 23 and include the latest Rocky on Parade unveiling. The event is hosted by WIU and the City of Macomb. This year's event is the inaugural Town & Gown celebration for WIU's 12th President Guiyou Huang.

The 14th annual Celebrating Town & Gown event, with Huang and Macomb Mayor Mike Inman, will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at The Forum in Macomb, with a short program at 6:15 p.m. All Macomb and WIU community members are welcome to attend.

"We hope you will save the date and join us for a great evening celebrating WIU and Macomb," said Director of Alumni Programs Amy Spelman. "This year's event is especially meaningful as this is Dr. Huang's first Town & Gown event, and his first WIU Homecoming as our 12th president. Please come out to meet President Huang, visit with Mayor Inman and enjoy a wonderful evening."

The 2021 Honorary Alumni Award and Town & Gown awards will be presented by the president and mayor. The Honorary Alumni Award, given annually since 1994, is presented to an individual who is not a WIU graduate but who has provided exceptional service to the WIU community. The Town & Gown Award, given annually since 2007, is presented to an individual who may or may not be a WIU graduate and has provided exceptional service in bringing WIU and the Macomb communities together.

In addition, 24 newly-completed Rocky on Parade bulldogs will be unveiled during the event. Rocky on Parade is a public art project that celebrates the University's traditions, strengthens the unity of campus and community, contributes to the economic vitality and quality of life in Macomb, and supports the Rocky on Parade Department of Art student scholarships through the WIU Foundation. The statues will be a part of the 2021 WIU Homecoming Parade Saturday, Oct. 2 and installed at their final locations throughout the community and on the University campus following Homecoming Weekend.

To register for Town & Gown, and other alumni events, visit wiu.com/alumni, call (309) 298-1914 or stop by the Alumni House, 1009 W. Adams St.

For more information, visit wiu.edu/alumni, or contact the WIU Alumni Association at (309) 298-1914 or via email at A-Association@wiu.edu. For more about Rocky on Parade, visit wiu.edu/vpaps/rocky_on_parade/.