In addition to hosting a weekend full of family-friendly events, each year, the Cyclone Family Weekend committee chooses Family of the Year.

Family of the Year coordinator Annie Longnecker and adviser Kipp Van Dyke choose the family through a process of applications and interviews. The team looks for families that truly embody the Cyclone spirit.

“We were looking for a family that contributed to [Iowa State] and the Ames community as a whole and values participation and support of our university. It was also important to find a family that could represent every family in the Cyclone nation,” Longnecker said.

This year’s family has been a part of the ISU legacy for more than 60 years. The family’s first graduates were Dan Arends and Martha Owens [Arends] in 1952. The pair was involved in the greek community and many organizations on campus where their loved for each other blossomed; Dan and Martha married in 1952.

Their son, John Arends, followed in his parent’s footsteps, attending Iowa State from 1973 to 1977. He met his wife Anne Butler [Arends] while at ISU and the couple had three children who are also part of the Cyclone nation. To find out more about the Arends Family, go to the Cyclone Family Weekend website: http://www.familyweekend.iastate.edu.