WT Alumni Association Plans Gatherings at Hodgetown, Ruidoso Downs

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

CANYON, Texas — The West Texas A&M University Alumni Association will host two major parties this summer to reconnect with Buffs across the region.

Up first: WT Alumni Night at Hodgetown, during the Amarillo Sod Poodles’ faceoff against the Tulsa Drillers at 7:05 p.m. June 28.

Buffs will seat in the WT-branded left-field patio area at the stadium, 715 S. Buchanan St.

Tickets, which are limited, are $20 and include entrance to the game, a fully catered meal and seating at four-top tables.

Then, the Alumni Association is off to the races for a second year; previously, the Department of Agriculture hosted the weekend.

The association will host a special weekend July 21 and 22 at Ruidoso Downs in Ruidoso, New Mexico, that’s designed to raise funds for the University, said Ronnie Hall, Alumni Association executive director.

“We’re so happy to return to the beautiful mountains of New Mexico for this exciting weekend,” Hall said. “WT Weekend in Ruidoso Downs is more than just a good time, though. Our alumni and their friends can use the weekend as an opportunity to make targeted donations to the Colleges and units of their choice.”

Tickets are $100 each, and space is limited. The cost includes entry to the track’s 440 Smokehouse & Bar, a catered lunch and a commemorative program.

Tickets should be purchased by July 16.

Nearly 1,000 WT alumni live in eastern New Mexico.

The weekend will offer participants several opportunities to donate to WT’s historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021— has raised more than $125 million and will continue through 2025.

The One West campaign fuels WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World, the University’s long-range plan.

All attendees at the races, even those not attending with the WT contingent, will learn more about the University between each of the day’s 10 scheduled races. QR codes posted throughout the Jockey Club will direct attendees to buffalum.com/ruidoso, where they will have the opportunity to donate to the WT Alumni Association; Affairs; WT Athletics; Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum; the WT Graduate School; or any of WT’s six Colleges: the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business, the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences; the College of Engineering; the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities; and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

In addition to the July 22 races, WT alumni will gather for a 6 p.m. July 21 meet and greet at the Añejo Cantina at the track.

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—