Four cousins, an aunt, a future brother-in-law, three daughters and two parents. This family has more than 50 years of combined attendance at Iowa State.

They have an award-winning baton twirler, a former Student Alumni Association executive member and a past pom squad captain. Three of them are sorority members from the ISU greek system.

They are the Uchytils, and they are ISU’s Family of the Year. They will be honored at Saturday’s football pregame events as a part of Parent and Family Weekend, organized annually by SAA.

“We look for a family that is active at Iowa State University, and who best embodies the spirit of the university,” said Sandy Anfinson, Parent and Family Weekend chair.

The Uchytil family appears to fit the bill. Parents LaVerne and Elizabeth met while they were attending ISU in the late 1960s.

They now have five daughters, two of which are current ISU students and one is an alumna of the university.

“We were really thrilled to find out we were chosen. It’s a real exciting time for all of us,” said Sarah Uchytil, a graduating senior in accounting.

Sarah and her younger sister, Theresa Uchytil, jointly submitted their 7-page application for the family — though not for the first time. They applied last year but were not chosen, Theresa said.

“We were kind of antsy this year. This is Sarah’s last semester,” Theresa, a junior in speech communication, said.

“I guess we’re kind of funny together. We went into the interview with a positive attitude,” she added.

Applications were due at the beginning of October. Out of those turned in, five were selected for final-round interviews, Anfinson said.

The selection committee was comprised of two faculty members, one graduate student, the SAA adviser and Anfinson.

“Sarah and Theresa are both very active with Student Alumni Association and other activities. Theresa’s a pretty familiar face to a lot of ISU supporters,” Anfinson said, mentioning that Theresa’s twirling alongside the ISU Marching Band is a common sight at Iowa State football games.

A high level of community involvement is typical of the entire Uchytil family, according to Theresa and Sarah.

Theresa is a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority while Sarah and their older sister, Alice, are members of Alpha Phi sorority.

Sarah has served on SAA as chair of the Campus and Alumni Relations Committee, on the 1994 Homecoming Central committee and on the 1995 Veishea Parade Committee. She has also held the positions of treasurer and vice-president in her sorority.

“I’ve known Sarah for three years. She’s one of the most involved people I know, both inside the sorority and outside the house,” said Liz Brzezicki, Alpha Phi president.

Theresa is currently serving on the Government of the Student Body as senator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and has been on the 1996 Homecoming Central Committee as well as the 1995 SAA Campus and Alumni Relations Committee. She also won the modeling division of the 1996 Miss College Majorette of America competition.

Theresa said many of their family’s traditions center around the Iowa State campus. They cited regular family attendance at football and basketball games, and annual appearances at Veishea, as examples.

“All of us have basically grown up around [ISU],” Theresa said.

With five daughters involved in so many different activities, family scheduling is difficult at times, Sarah said.

Their solution: “a lot of phone calls, a lot of messages on answering machines,” Sarah said, laughing. “I think our parents really encouraged close relationships and good relationships among everybody.”

LaVerne and Elizabeth, both 50 years old, are members of the ISU Alumni Association as well as the Cardinal Club.

They have been donors of the ISU athletic program, the American Heart Association and the Children’s Cancer Charities.

The Uchytil family resides in Urbandale. LaVerne teaches biology at Valley High School in West Des Moines and Elizabeth owns Wee Care Day Care in Urbandale. One of their two other daughters is a student at the University of Iowa, and the other is a freshman at Urbandale High School.

Alice Uchytil, 27, manages an American Eagle Outfitters store in Chicago and is to be married on Nov. 16 to Patrick Lowery, also an ISU alumnus.

The Uchytils will be honored guests at a reception held Friday at the Knoll and will be present at all events this weekend.

“It seems like their family is always up here when we have events [at the sorority] like Moms’ Weekend and Dads’ Weekend,” Brzezicki said. “They come to all the football games.

“We always have Uchytils in our house.”