This year’s Red and White Week will officially begin on Monday, Nov. 4 with the first-ever Pack Appreciation Day, held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Stafford Commons, to thank NC State donors and celebrate school pride.

Red and White Week is NC State’s annual homecoming week, where the Wolfpack collectively celebrates the strength of the pack, according to Ellen Klingler, executive director of events for University Communications and Marketing. While this is the fourth annual Red and White Week, NC State has been celebrating homecoming for decades. It was renamed in 2016, Klinger said.

“We invite all members of the Wolfpack, near and far, to reflect on the impact NC State has had on their lives and to celebrate the extraordinary ways NC State is contributing to the state, nation and world,” Klingler said. “It is a time to be reacquainted with friends, students, faculty and the wider Wolfpack community and show our Pack pride.”

As the signature tradition at NC State, Red and White Week engages and inspires the Wolfpack  community to elevate NC State as a leading research university and home for extraordinary students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. One of our university’s strategic priorities is to “enhance institutional pride among all faculty, staff and students,” and Red and White Week is one of the many ways to enhance that school pride, Klingler said.

On Pack Appreciation Day, students will get the chance to write thank-you notes to donors, record video messages, and some students will also get the chance to make phone calls to these donors through the student call center at the Park Alumni Center, according to Heather Tart, director of stewardship for University Communications and Marketing and lead manager of Pack Appreciation Day.

“Private support really enhances every corner of our campus, and so having the opportunity to say thank you back to our donors is important to us,” Tart said. “This event will help encourage students’ gratitude towards our donors, and we’ll also be weaving in education regarding philanthropy as a part of the event.”

The Alumni Association will also be kicking off the week with Wear Red, Get Fed, which will be taking place on Stafford Commons throughout the week from noon to 1 p.m. All students have to do is wear one of their red NC State t-shirts to get free food from one of the many vendors present on Stafford Commons.

In addition to Wear Red, Get Fed, a wide variety of events will be held throughout the week to ensure every student finds an event they can resonate with, like NC-SYNC (a lip-sync contest) or Cupcakes for a Cause. Some of the major events include a keynote from NC State alum Leigh-Kathryn Bonner, founder of Bee Downtown, as well as a discussion about Higher Education Today with Donna Shalala, U.S. representative for Florida’s 27th Congressional District and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Two major events will be held on Friday, Nov. 8, according to the Red and White Week website. Chancellor Randy Woodson will present a fall address in Talley Student Union at 1 p.m., where he will celebrate NC State’s many accomplishments and set a vision for another year ahead. Additionally, a homecoming parade block party is set to be held on Friday night beside Nelson Hall. To cap it all off, NC State will take on Clemson for the homecoming football game on Saturday, Nov. 9.

For more information about the events being throughout the week, students can visit the Red and White Week website.