Moms and Family Weekend is one of the biggest annual events at Oregon State and within the Corvallis community. Its student organizers, Mackenzie Hoy, Sarah Lowe and Trisha Kooba say this years event, scheduled for May 3-5, could bring in as much as $3-4 million throughout the city after mothers purchase gas, hotel rooms, tickets to events, dinners out and of course, t-shirts.
“They love buying t-shirts,” Hoy says.
MUPC ORGANIZES MOMS WEEKEND
In fact, working the merchandise table is one of Hoy’s favorite jobs during Moms Weekend because of all the feedback she hears.
The positive reactions from happy moms and students is well deserved. The organizers at the Memorial Union Program Council start planning Moms and Family Weekend about 20 weeks before the event, as soon as Dads and Family Weekend wraps up in the fall.
The organizers, along with their advisers, look at data from last year’s Moms and Family Weekend to determine what kind of events, services and vendors to offer, and set out to make it happen.
And even though it’s a lot of work, all three organizers agree they love their job.
“I think it’s the best job on campus,” Lowe says.
HISTORY OF MOMS ON OSU’S CAMPUS
Moms Weekend started unofficially in the spring of 1924 when women on campus invited their mothers to come to campus for a day to see what kind of opportunities their daughters had at school.
Due to its popularity, soon men began inviting their mothers, and a meal was offered to everyone in attendance.
Through the years, Moms and Family Weekend has evolved into an entire weekend of fun events for the whole family.
This year’s events include the usual comedy show, fashion show and art show. Massages and photos will be offered as well. MUPC has partnered for the first time this year with the Asian and Pacific Cultural Center to host a tea for mothers and their students.
Hoy, Low and Kooba agree that the weekend offers events families don’t take part in every day.
“How often are you walking down the street and say, ‘Hey, let’s go to a comedy show tonight?’” Kooba says.
MOM’S WEEKEND ATTENDEES
Oregon State Parent and Alum Becky Pershing will attend Moms and Family Weekend this year with her daughter Kaycee.
Due to obligations back home in the Portland area, Becky hasn’t always been able to make it to Moms Weekend in the past.
“This year I have the whole weekend free, and Kaycee has to work both days,” Becky says.
But Becky is still making plans to tag along to work with Kaycee and attend some of the evening events.
Becky says she’s lucky to have experienced Moms and Family Weekend from both perspectives. As a student on campus in the ‘80s, she remembers roller skating through campus with her mother.
“We have always had so much fun at Moms Weekend,” Becky says.
And that’s all the organizers can hope for.
“Everyone has really great time,” Hoy says. “They have nothing but great things to say.”
