UWA looks for help to rebuild bonfire after vandalism

UWA's Homecoming Bonfire was set ablaze by vandals sometime late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. (Photo from Facebook)
UWA’s Homecoming Bonfire was set ablaze by vandals sometime late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. (Photo from Facebook)

LIVINGSTON, Ala.—One of UWA’s time-honored homecoming traditions has been threatened this week. The annual Homecoming Bonfire is set for Thursday night, but a prank late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning has ended with an already burned pile. UWA students are asking for support in a speedy effort to collect enough materials to rebuild before 8 p.m. on Thursday.

The bonfire is built each year by students, with materials collected over the course of several weeks. This year’s bonfire has been constructed primarily of wooden shipping pallets, layering as high as 20 feet and some 40 feet wide by members of UWA’s chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity. The construction began nearly a month ago and has progressed each day.

“The Homecoming Bonfire and Pep Rally, which also includes a fireworks show, is a highlight of the week for our campus,” said Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Richard Hester. “We come together to build it, then also enjoy it as a family. Now, we are asking our surrounding community to help us keep this Homecoming tradition alive this year.”

To help UWA students rebuild the Homecoming bonfire that has been destroyed in a prank, contact the Student Life office at 205-652-3624.