Countdown to Veishea warms ISU students up to the weekend’s celebration by having free barbecues, Ultimate Frisbee games and other activities on central campus, showcasing Iowa State’s different colleges.

Justin Hattan, Veishea community-outreach coordinator, said as part of the countdown, Ultimate Frisbee tournaments will be held on the north side of the Campanile each day this week at 11 a.m., with teams from each of the eight colleges competing. The championship tournament will be held Thursday at noon.

“In the past years, we’ve done the college Olympics,” Hattan said. “Participation was low, so we’ve tried to revamp it with Ultimate Frisbee. It should be a lot of fun.”

In addition to Ultimate Frisbee, there will be a a dunk tank and pie-throwing contest each day featuring ISU celebrities.

Bill Fennelly, ISU women’s head basketball coach, will take his turn in the tank today. Thomas Hill, vice president of Student Affairs, Dan McCarney, ISU head football coach, and Matt Craft, former Government of the Student Body president, will be subjected to dunking Thursday. Several college deans will also take part in the dunk tank and pie-throwing contests.

Hattan said one of Countdown to Veishea’s main attractions will be the free barbecue on central campus offered each day to students in the different colleges.

On Wednesday, the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Education and Business will have barbecues for their students, and Thursday’s barbecue will be free for everyone, he said. The remaining colleges had their barbecues Tuesday.

Anna Wilhelm, coordinator of Countdown to Veishea, said there is a $100 scholarship drawing each day during the barbecue for anyone who participates in the events.

“They will announce the winners at Closing Ceremonies [Sunday],” she said.

Hattan said many of the different colleges are the hosts of activities throughout this week, such as the hay-bail toss by the College of Agriculture Tuesday and an ice cream social by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences today.

“There will be a lot of really fun things to do,” Wilhelm said. “KCCQ should be there. Hopefully if the weather is nice, we’ll have as many as 3,000 attend. We have enough food for 6,000.”

Wilhelm said all proceeds from the Countdown to Veishea contests will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Ames.