The annual "Rock the Block" Homecoming celebration drew hundreds of alumni, students, faculty and staff for music, games, food and fun. The crowd cheered the announcement that $6.1 million was given by alumni this year as part of their reunions.
Schar Center was filled with music, food, fun and games Friday night as the annual “Rock the Block” Homecoming celebration drew hundreds of alumni, students, faculty and friends to the convocation center.
> Photo gallery from 2018 Rock the Block
The threat of thunderstorms and heavy rain meant a move indoors for the block party, which has become a staple in the annual Homecoming weekend celebration. But the forecast didn’t dampen the spirits of the Elon faithful, with 3,000 alumni and university friends expected to converge on campus during the course of the weekend.
“I always say that the future of Elon will be determined by all of you,” President Connie Ledoux Book told the crowd celebrating in the Schar Center.
Along with celebrating the return of alumni to campus, Friday marked an opportunity to cheer their contributions to the university they love.
Director of Alumni Engagement Brian Feeley took the stage in the Schar Center to announce that more than 2,800 alumni donors made a gift to Elon as part of a reunion this year. He shared that the Class of 2013, celebrating its fifth reunion this Homecoming, and the Class of 1968, celebrating its 50th reunion, had the highest rate of giving participation.
Joined by representatives from classes celebrating milestone reunions or groups celebrating affinity reunions, Feeley announced that the close to 3,000 alumni combined to contribute $6,052,387.81 this year as part of their class reunions.
“You are the evidence of an Elon education,” Book told the crowd. “We take pride in the love you have for your university and how you want to be part of its success.”
The Schar Center concourse was filled with opportunities for alumni to reconnect and update each other on their lives. They enjoyed a variety of fare from food trucks lining the parking lot in front of Schar Center, competed in cornhole and other games and enjoyed the sounds of “The Band Punch.”
Kicking off the event was a “Banner Parade,” with student groups and supporters of members of Homecoming Court walking the concourse with their hand-crafted banners. Many of the banners included the names of a variety of nonprofits that the groups support, such as the JDRF, the Alzheimer’s Association and Relay for Life.
The crowd was a mix of alumni from across the generations, with Elon students-to-be enjoying face-painting, balloon animals and games. For many, it was their first time in Schar Center, the 5,100-seat convocation center that opened this fall.