When some members of the Columbus alumni chapter read about the Velvet Ice Cream company’s annual harvest days festival at its historic mill, they thought it sounded like a great place for an event—ice cream, hay rides and pumpkin carving were just a scoop of what the mill had to offer. What the alumni did not know was that the event would be a threefold Musketeer gathering.

The family that owns Velvet Ice Cream includes two Xavier alumni: Luconda Dager Ashcroft and Joanne Dager. And when the chapter’s group of 50 arrived wearing Xavier sweatshirts, they were approached by two members of the Apple Valley Singers, who were performing that day. It turned out they were alumni, too. The afternoon in the autumn countryside turned into a bustling hub of Xavier families.

“We had a big family turnout, with a lot of children,” says Dan Bryan, Columbus chapter president. “Most of the alumni events usually focus around social-type activities, and we wanted to do something that would incorporate the kids, too. It was a really diverse group.”

Next year, the chapter hopes to reserve a picnic area and hold the event on an even larger scale.

For information about Columbus chapter events or events with any of the 50 chapters, call 800 344-4698 or visit the alumni association web site at www.xavier.edu/alumni.