Published on April 3, 2024 by Hannah Gusko  
beeson university center SD0521320

On Thurs., March 21, four Samford parents gathered to pack Party-in-A-Box hosting kits for Samford Send-Off Parties under the supervision of Tanya Hindman, Assistant Director of Parent and Family Programs, and Hannah Gusko, Marketing and Communication Intern. Food and fellowship were enjoyed by all.

Party-in-a-Box hosting kits include all of the essentials for hosting a perfect Samford Send-Off Party. The boxes feature two red balloons, two navy blue balloons, one white balloon, Samford bulldog cutouts, Samford-themed Bingo cards for students and parents, Bingo prizes, four shakers, a Samford flag, a box of Samford Talks cards and a hosting best practices sheet.

Welcome Parties are different than Send-Off Parties. Welcome Parties are hosted by Parent and Family Programs in cities that have high populations of incoming students, while Send-Off Parties are hosted by parents in smaller cities to “send” local students off to Samford.

“We are so grateful to the parents who have volunteered to host a Samford Send-Off Party this summer, and we want to help simplify the process,” Tanya Hindman, Assistant Director of Parent and Family Programs, said. “One of the ways we do that is by offering each host a Party-in-A-Box. The purpose of this box is to provide the hosts with Send-Off resources such as decorations, games, Samford-specific hosting tips, links to PDFs for yard signs and banners and important move-in information to share.”

Send-Off Party hosts are able to choose the date, time and location of their party. Parent and Family Programs will manage promotion and registration for the event.

“If hosting in your home, food can be simple, such as desserts or an ice cream sundae bar, or you can provide a meal,” Hindman said. “You can determine a per-person cost, and we will ask each family to Venmo you upon registration. If hosting in a restaurant, we will let each family know they are financially responsible for their own meals.”

If you or someone you know is interested in hosting a Send-Off Party or would like more information, please contact parents@samford.edu.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.