Baton Rouge Family Hosts UA Band Members, Fans To Traditional Thanksgiving

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - There will be a long line for seconds this Thanksgiving at one family’s home in Baton Rouge, La., as more than 100 members of the University of Arkansas Marching Razorback Band, alumni and friends are expected to gather for a traditional holiday meal and prepare for the Arkansas-LSU football game.

"It takes quite a few turkeys to feed a pack of hungry Hog fans, and there’s not much elbow room. But we really are a family, and that’s what Thanksgiving is all about," John Forrest Ales, a 2002 UA graduate and Baton Rouge native, said.

Ales and his family will make room for more than 60 UA band members, and Ales says enough turkey and dressing has been ordered to also feed local alumni and Razorback fans traveling to Baton Rouge for the game.

The Marching Razorbacks depart Fayetteville at 7 a.m. Thursday and endure more than 10 hours on the road before arriving in Baton Rouge. The family has rolled out the Razorback red carpet for the band for each of their trips to Baton Rouge since Ales enrolled at the University in 1998. Ales’ parents are alumni of LSU but will again trade their purple and gold for red and white for the third consecutive Razorback Thanksgiving feast.

This year, the Arkansas Alumni Association is sponsoring the event as a "Razorback Family Thanksgiving" to rally alumni across Louisiana and fans who travel to follow the Hogs and are away from their families during this holiday.

"It’s a small way to give back to the band members that give up their holiday to travel to this game in Baton Rouge. It is also about community and truly being part of a Razorback family," Anthony McAdoo, director of Alumni Programs said. "We are grateful to the Ales for opening their home to the band members, alumni and Razorback fans on Thanksgiving for this event. Talk about commitment to the University, agreeing to host the band in addition to alumni and fans is a big one."

"From academic excellence to athletic dominance, the UA community has so much to be thankful for," Ales said. "This event enables students, alumni and friends to come together and celebrate Thanksgiving as a true Razorback family."

The event begins at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 27 at 9035 Rue Felicity Court off of Bluebonnet Road in Baton Rouge. Media are invited to attend. Interviews with members of the Ales family, UA band members, alumni, fans or Arkansas Alumni Association staff members can be arranged in advance or on location.