Hot Dog Day has been an Alfred tradition since 1972 and is typically held at the end of April. It was founded by two Alfred University Students, Mark O'Meara and Eric Vaughn, in an effort to bring together Alfred University, Alfred State College, and the village of Alfred itself. This event has always been a way to raise money for charities, such as the local ambulance company and the local library. The money raised from vendor fees and T-shirt sales is distributed among chosen charities and nonprofits. This event has typically raised between $10,000 to $16,000 split between 6 or 7 charities. There are often many events, including a parade on Main Street, a vendor fair, and a concert.
In 2014, the decision was made to hold Hot Dog Day on the Alfred University and Alfred State campuses, alternating hosts each year, rather than holding the event on Main Street. This tradition held until the Covid pandemic caused the cancellation of many events in 2020 and continuing into 2021. In lieu of Hot Dog Day, Alfred State held a small festival in the spring of 2021.
As this year will mark the 50th anniversary of Hot Dog Day, it was important for both the colleges and the village to plan something to celebrate, especially since Covid caused the cancellation of the festival for the previous two years. Everyone involved in the lengthy planning of Hot Dog Day wants to preserve the legacy of the event. There was always a commitment to put on a large fair of some kind this spring for the students. Splitting the event into Hot Dog Day on the University campus and in town and the Spring Carnival on the State campus was deemed the best option for this year. There are plans to bring the event back to its history of being held on Main Street rather than alternating campuses, but these plans are dependent on the pandemic status as time goes on. Collaboration between Alfred University, Alfred State College, and the village will continue to ensure that events are planned that serve students in the best possible way.
This year, Alfred University will be hosting vendors on their campus on April 30th. There will also be a parade down Main Street at noon. Alfred State College will be holding a Spring Carnival to complement the Hot Dog Day activities, an event that will include carnival rides and food trucks. These events will be held outdoors to keep students attending as safe as possible.
Other Alfred State College activities taking place on this year’s Hot Dog Day weekend include the Special Olympics on Friday, April 29th. Along with the Spring Carnival on Saturday, April 30th, there will be doubleheaders in both baseball and softball. While scaled-down, there will still be fundraising by Greek houses for their existing philanthropies. There will also be a Spring Carnival T-Shirt for sale.
To ensure the safety of students, the school has been continually monitoring Covid levels in the area, as well as the strain on local hospitals, to ensure that having a larger event this spring can be done safely. Knowing that commencement would be taking place two weeks after the proposed weekend drove college officials to consider as many safety precautions as possible. After it was determined that a larger event could be safely held, plans to relaunch Hot Dog Day were solidified.
No comments:
Post a Comment