Alva Review-Courier -

Nearly 800 students in bands from across Oklahoma and Kansas will join the Ranger Marching Band by participating in Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s homecoming festivities set for Saturday, Oct. 6.

Fourteen bands will march around Alva’s downtown square during Northwestern’s Homecoming parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and 11 bands are set to participate in the Massed Bands performance at 3:30 p.m. during pre-game of Saturday’s football game vs. East Central University set to kickoff at 4 p.m.

Alumni are registered to provide music and entertainment as an Alumni Band during the first half of the homecoming football game. This year Joe Surface will direct the Alumni Band. Rehearsal starts at 2 p.m. in the band room. Alumni can register to participate at https://my.nwfoundation.com/alumniband.

Those bands scheduled to march in the parade, their directors and classifications include:

• Junior High – Blackwell Middle School, J. Wayne Hudson; Pioneer-Pleasant Vale Junior High, Sherri Lohmann; Southwestern Heights Junior High (Kismet, Kansas), Erika Clausing

• Class 2A – Pioneer-Pleasant Vale High School, Sherri Lohmann; Cimarron High School, Adam Steuart; Laverne High School, Hank Nichols; Seiling High School, Danny Powers; Waynoka High School, Erin Place; Turpin High School, Phil Burns

• Class 3A – Alva High School, Cara Bradt; Watonga High School, Shane Johnston

• Class 4A – Hugoton High School (Hugoton, Kansas), Amy Freeman; Kingfisher High School, Mandy Owens

• Class 5A – Woodward High School, Daci Crockett

There will be an awards ceremony for the bands immediately following the parade at the band shell in Alva’s Downtown Square. After the awards ceremony, the bands will travel to the football stadium to rehearse for the Massed Band performance.

Four of the directors leading their bands in the parade are Northwestern alumni. They include Steuart, class of 2007; Crockett, class of 2004; Freeman, class of 2001; and Lohmann, class of 2000.

Northwestern's Homecoming Parade competition and Massed Band performance are made possible by a generous donation from the Charles Morton Share Trust. In addition, the new convenience store in Alva, Shepherd Oil, has made a generous donation to help offset travel costs of the visiting bands. The Ranger Band and all the participating students wish to thank these donors for their support.

To see more information about Northwestern’s Homecoming events, please visit http://www.nwosu.edu/homecoming.