Red, White, and Burnt Orange: A Longhorn Fourth of July

By Amy Madden in Chapters, TXEX on July 23, 2013 at 3:50 pm | No Comments

The Texas Exes Guadalupe County Chapter really knows how to celebrate Independence Day. For Seguin’s Fourth of July Parade, the chapter took its celebration to the extreme, creating an 8-foot model of the UT Tower to adorn a Longhorn-themed float.

Made out of plywood by scholarship chair and treasurer Bill Ermel, BBA ’63, Life Member, the Tower took members two evenings to paint and replaced a cardboard version used on the float last year. Keeping with the Longhorn theme, the float also featured a 7-foot-tall blow-up Bevo, a number of Bevo stuffed animals, and lots of red, white, and blue.

“It’s a lot of fun. It’s a unique thing,” Ann Terry, BS ’73, Life Member, says of the float and parade. “Definitely a group effort.”

Two of the chapter’s three scholarship recipients from Seguin High School rode on the float, and former UT band members Tom Richey, BA ’71, Life Member, and his wife Theresa, BA ’73, Life Member, played patriotic music during the parade.

The float was one of 27 to receive a “Special Recognition” ribbon out of approximately 175 entries. Though the chapter didn’t win the trophy for “Best Local Entry” like it did last year, Terry still had a great time. Her favorite part: sharing the UT gospel.

“I think it’s just the recognition it gives the chapter. This is the first time we ever put scholarship recipients on the float,” Terry says. “They were thrilled to ride it.”

Photos courtesy Ann Terry. Top: Scholarship recipients Ban-Yun Pan and David Lopez. Right: The 8-foot-tall UT Tower.

Tags: chapters, Fourth of July, Guadaupe County, Independence Day, Parade