The University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ at Lafayette will kick off its annual Wear Red campaign this Friday by celebrating Wear Red Day in conjunction with National College Colors Day.
"We started our Wear Red program nine years ago," said Matt Tarver, brand manager for Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette.
"For other schools, National Colors Day puts the emphasis on wearing school colors. In Acadiana, we wear red every Friday to show our support and enthusiasm for the University."
Tarver said folks who enjoy wearing red have a new way to express themselves, thanks to a University partnership with an Acadiana business. Catherine Mestayer, a Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette alumna, owns FABRIQUES, a fabric shop at 2801 Kaliste Saloom Rd.
She is the exclusive, licensed retail and commercial distributor of fabric printed with the University's logo on a red background.
Mestayer said the cotton fabric will likely be seen Saturday, at Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette's first home football game of the season.
"One customer bought fabric to make a tablecloth for tailgating and another purchased fabric to make an apron," she said. Mestayer used some of the cloth to make a shirt for herself. The 1975 graduate holds a bachelor's degree in home economics education.
Tarver said Sonic's University-branded hamburger, the Ragin' Cajuns® burger, has returned to Acadiana in time for the Fall 2014 football season. It features spicy mayo, pepper jack cheese, fried and grilled onions, and an edible logo on its bun.
In addition to wearing red (and noshing on branded burgers), Tarver said University supporters who work at area businesses can compete to become the 2014 Wear Red Champions.
To enter:
- get your group together and wear red on Aug. 29;
- post a high-resolution, digital photograph to , or email it to WearRed@louisiana.edu; and
- indicate the total number of people wearing red and the number of people employed by your business.
The deadline for entries is Monday, Sept. 8.
Photos of participating teams will be posted to the University’s Wear Red Facebook page — . Winners will be recognized during an on-field presentation during a home football game.
The University also encourages fans across the world to Wear Red with family members and to post their photos to .
For more information, call (337) 482-6574 or e-mail WearRed@louisiana.edu.