Skip to main content

Celebrating the U of I Community

One of the best things about the University of Illinois is the strength of our community, both on and off campus. This year, Homecoming aligns with Giving Tuesday, which gives us the chance to highlight our community efforts and bring together our extended network of alumni to support our students.

And since we won’t be able to visit our favorite local spots during Homecoming this year, we’re bringing them to you—with a quick aerial look at Champaign-Urbana and some recipes from notable Illini.

Giving Tuesday: Highlighting Our Community Efforts

Today is Giving Tuesday, a time we all come together to give back to our community. This year, we’ll be participating by fundraising for the Illinois Student Food Pantry Fund, which supports the Food Assistance and Wellbeing Program. Through the Illinois Student Food Pantry Fund, we work to ensure our entire student community has access to nutritious food and key necessities, all in a welcoming, supportive, inclusive space. Your donation can make a real impact: A $75 gift supports up to 5 shopping trips for our students experiencing food insecurity. Visit here to learn more about the program.

Exclusive Tailgating Recipes from Notable Illini for Your At-home Watch Party

The perfect game-day snacks are a must, and we’ve got you covered with recipes for everything from chicken wings to vegan queso (and a Riggs lager, if you are feeling ambitious). We’ve asked members of our Illini family, including hospitality experts like Billy Dec, Scott Zimmer and Darin and Matt Riggs, to share their favorite tailgating treats so you can take your at-home watch party to the next level. 

Here’s the menu:

Happy cooking!

An Aerial Zip Through Our Town

We all have our favorite memories of time spent in Urbana-Champaign, strolling down Green Street and gathering with friends. Since we can’t visit our favorite spots this year for Homecoming, we’ll take you there virtually so you can catch a birds-eye view of the town and see how things have changed.

Click the above image to view the video

Want to support local businesses in the area, new and old? Please visit visitchampaigncounty.org to learn how, and to see what’s new! You can also visit their dedicated business updates and cancellations page where you can find all the information you need on how you can access businesses right now.