Many TCU student organizations are joining together to possibly win a float award for the Homecoming Parade tonight at 6 p.m.

The Homecoming Parade is an annual TCU tradition that welcomes alumni home and connects the Fort Worth community with TCU. This year’s parade theme is “TCU’s Texan heritage in the heart of Cowtown – Where the West Begins!”

Each float is expected to represent this theme. Floats will be judged on construction quality, design, color, creativity, spirit and crowd reaction.

Building a float is no simple task. There is a 2015 Parade Float Handbook dedicated to this sole purpose, and the best floats take planning, dedication, and hard work.

“I’ll be buying supplies up until the Sunday before the parade then we build it all week and we should be done the Thursday before,” said James Reis, chairperson for Beta Theta Pi’s float. “It’s so incredible to see the final product and how hard everyone works makes it all worth it.”

Whether it’s being part of the building process, riding on the float or walking alongside, everyone seems to catch part of the TCU spirit.

“Seeing all the people come watch that live around Fort Worth really shows the spirit of TCU,” Reis said.

“It’s cool because you get to see more of the community,” said Calvin Layman, Pi Kappa Phi Homecoming float chair. “You get to see all the parents that bring their kids out so that’s pretty neat. It makes you proud to be a TCU student.”