NewsChannel 10’s Ali Allison, Shelden Breshears to Host 2023 WT Homecoming Parade

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — The popular cohosts of NewsChannel 10’s morning shows will return for a third year as hosts of West Texas A&M University’s Homecoming parade.

Ali Allison and Shelden Breshears will broadcast live throughout the parade, which kicks off at 1 p.m. Oct. 14 along Russell Long Boulevard on the WT campus in Canyon.

“Shelden and I are thrilled to be back as emcees for this year’s ‘The Buff Playlist’ parade,” Allison said. “WT Homecoming brings Buffs from around the nation back to Canyon, and we’re happy to broadcast the parade throughout the Panhandle to bring the party to those who can’t come in person.”

The parade will broadcast MeTV, channel 10.4 or cable channel 127, as well as on WT’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/WTAMU; NewsChannel 10’s Facebook page; and WT’s homepage, wtamu.edu.

NewsChannel 10 also will broadcast the WT Football game versus Western New Mexico University. Kickoff is 7 p.m. Oct. 14 from Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium on the WT campus.

The parade will begin at the First United Bank Center, traveling west along Russell Long Boulevard and ending at the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex.

The Countdown to Kickoff Block Party tailgate will begin immediately after the parade along 26th Street across from Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.

Homecoming 2023 activities also include:

• The Phoenix: This celebration of WT’s Distinguished Alumni Class of 2023 will include a dinner and program, followed by jazz and desserts. It will run from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 12 in Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center, with the after-party scheduled to be held around Buffalo Fountain on the Charles K. and Barbara Kerr Vaughan Pedestrian Mall. Tickets are $75; tables are $600 to $1,500. Honorees are Gary Barnes, a transformative former WT administrator; and the late William E. “Bill” Semmelbeck, a beloved business professor emeritus.
• Celebration of Color: Four WT alumni of color and three Amarillo community leaders will be honored at this dinner event at 6 p.m. Oct. 13 in Legacy Hall. Honorees will include civic leader Elisha Demerson; former star WT athlete Victor McGee; educator and comedian Milton Smith; nurse and educator Dolores Neal Thompson; civic volunteer Lilia Escajeda; and philanthropists David and Sherry Schaeffer. Tickets are $35; visit wtamu.edu/engagedcitizenship or call 806-651-8482.
• WT Alumni Meet-Up: Join WT Alumni at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, at Sad Monkey Mercantile, 9800 Texas Highway 217, for a night of food, fun, and fellowship hosted by the WT Alumni Association, WT Graduate School and the Canyon/Amarillo WT Alumni Chapter.
• Run with the Herd: WT Military and Veteran Services will host a 5K fun run around the WT campus at 8 a.m. Oct. 14.

Student activities will include a “Tunes at Noon” karaoke party Oct. 10 and 11 in the JBK Commons; Homecoming King and Queen elections; a dodgeball tournament Oct. 11 in the Virgil Henson Activities Center; and Pigskin Revue, the annual spirit rally at 8 p.m. Oct. 13in The Box.

For a complete list of activities, visit wtamu.edu/homecoming.

Allison is a 15-year veteran of the NewsChannel 10 newsroom. She anchors the “Early Show,” “Second Cup” and “News at Noon.”

Breshears was born and raised in Portales, New Mexico, and attended college at WT, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and electronic media in 2018. He has worked in several roles at NewsChannel 10 before landing as the morning meteorologist for the “Early Show” and a co-host of “Second Cup.”

Maintaining strong community ties is a component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $150 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—