Homecoming & Family Weekend mixes tried-and-true traditions with new offerings

5K race and first-year family tailgate among the events joining old favorites

Tradition is the beating heart of Alvernia’s Homecoming & Family Weekend.

Every year, alumni from far and wide return to campus to reminisce about old memories while making new ones.

The event’s 2025 edition featured thousands of attendees participating in plenty of tried-and-true traditions. They included the always-energetic tailgating crowd populating Lot C, aided by the first Alvernia-Albright College Homecoming football clash; the Family Fun Zone on the Quad featuring a petting zoo, hands-on science projects, a photo booth, and a Total Experience Learning community mural paint session; and sunset tours of Francis Hall.

"What a special weekend we had on campus," said Dan Hartzman '06, director of external engagement. "From new events like the Pack Dash 5K to year-over-year favorites like celebrating the rosary at the Grotto with our Bernardine Sisters and brunch with the President, it was an energy-filled weekend with great crowds. We are already excited to start planning for next year."
 

PHOTO: Rick and Lisa Moore with their daughter, Amanda ’29.
 

Alvernia's concerted push to create new traditions included Pack the Lot: First-Year Family Tailgate, the brainchild of Director of New Student Programs Kaleigh Pelko, which featured snacks and a picnic table filled with crafts.

“My hope was to have first-year students attend, by themselves or with family and friends, and celebrate their Golden Wolf journey, share their new world with guests and continue to meet other fellow first-year students,” Pelko said.

Rick and Lisa Moore and younger daughter Amanda ’29 stopped by the event on the way back from visiting older daughter Allison ’26, a member of the Cheer and Dance Team who was preparing to perform at the football game. Lisa and Amanda strung together beads to create “Golden Wolves” bracelets and decorated mini-football helmets with stickers.

Despite the family hailing from Delran, N.J., and despite Allison wanting to attend college in a warmer climate, the biology major applied to Alvernia after hearing about the university’s agreement with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

And her parents couldn’t be happier about her decision.

“This is a hidden gem,” Lisa said. “It’s a really great school. I think it's big enough that they can fly, but small enough that they don't get lost.”

Amanda decided to follow in her sister’s footsteps when she discovered the Biology-Physician Associate 3+2 program, which allows students to get a bachelor’s degree in biology before receiving a Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Studies.

“Instead of going to a school and then applying to a PA school, it's only five years and then I'm done,” she said. “My dad's a nurse, so I talked to him, and I said, ‘Wow, that sounds really good.’ And he went, ‘That is really good.’ And all of the facilities were just built.”
 

PHOTO: Liz Sweeney of Sinking Spring won the inaugural Pack Dash 5K.
 

Weekend activities finished on Sunday morning with a finish line when the Pack Dash 5K brought a race back to campus. Starting and ending at the PLEX, the hilly course snaked through Angelica Park, Berks Nature and the Hill Campus.

“It was wonderful to see so many people come together for this year’s Pack Dash 5K," said race organizer Felicia Nelson, associate director of student activities. "We’re grateful to everyone who joined in to give back to our community and help raise funds for the Hope Fund and Clare’s Cupboard. Seeing 61 runners out on the course made for an inspiring and successful day.”

Liz Sweeney of Sinking Spring led the race from start to finish, crossing the line in under 19 minutes, a speedy time made even more impressive by the fact that she only recently returned to running after a decade-plus gap that followed her becoming a mother.

“Around this time last year, I started running again,” she said. “I was really out of shape. I started going to the gym, doing some strength training. And then, I did a Thanksgiving Day race, and then I thought, ‘Well, I’ll race my way back into shape.’ I’ve been trying to do a race almost every weekend.”

Sweeney enjoyed the course, a mix of trails and road.

“Flat courses are nice when you’re trying to get a personal record, but I like that the hills made it a little more challenging,” she said.

Alvernia Director of Website and Editorial Content Jon Fassnacht was the top male finisher, placing second overall.

"I loved running the Beat Beethoven 5K/10K when it was held here, so I was thrilled to be on the Pack Dash committee," he said. "You never know how a race will do in its first year, especially considering how many are held throughout the region. It was gratifying to see a strong turnout. And to top it off, I crossed the finish line with a personal best time."

Homecoming & Family Weekend 2026 will run from October 9 to 11.