Enter the Founders Day Float Contest!

The Center for Community Service's entry in last year's float contest featured lots of color and lots of spirit.

President Walter Harrison (wearing a Mardi Gras crown) poses with the winners of last year's float contest, the music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. President Harrison was one of the judges of last year's competition.

The University of Hartford will celebrate its 56th birthday on Thursday, Feb. 21 – and you can help make it a birthday to remember by entering the Founders Day Float Contest!

Founders Day is the anniversary of the date when the University was formed. The charter establishing the University of Hartford was signed on Feb. 21, 1957.

For the second year in a row, the University will celebrate Founders Day with a float contest – and this year, the contest will be held on the new bridge over the Park River!

Please note that the deadline for entering the float contest has been extended to Thursday, Feb. 14. 


Here’s how it will work:

This year’s Founders Day celebration will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the new bridge on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 12:15 p.m. The float contest will take place on the bridge immediately after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

All students and campus organizations are invited to create a float for this exciting competition. You can create a float by yourself or with friends. You can also enter as a club, organization, sorority, fraternity, apartment, floor, suite, etc.

Floats can be created on any surface with wheels – wagons, cars, pick-up trucks, golf carts, bikes, skateboards, dollies, etc.

The theme of this year's float contest is "Building Bridges." Participants can interpret that theme in many different ways – from building the physical bridge over the Park River, to less literal interpretations, such as building bridges to the community, building bridges of knowledge, or building bridges to the future.

Participants can wear costumes on their floats, they can perform – it's up to you. Let your creativity flow! And be sure to show your Hawk spirit!

The prize for the best float is a monthly pizza party for you and your friends for each of the next three months!


To Enter:

Send an email with your group name, names of participants, group leader’s contact information, and a brief description of the float to Barbara Steinberger in the Office of Marketing and Communication at bsteinber@hartford.edu by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14. Please write “Founders Day Float” in the subject line.


Floats will be judged on the following criteria:

- School spirit

- Displaying the "Building Bridges" theme

- Creativity

- Overall appearance and craftsmanship

So come on, Hartford – let’s celebrate the new bridge and the University’s birthday in style!