Published:
Last Modified: October 30, 2026

Come home to Tucson for a weekend of nostalgia, fun, and community service!
January 21 – 24, 2027

Take a heartfelt walk down memory lane in the city where it all began for many alumni. We’ll reconnect, celebrate lifelong friendships, and honor the enduring legacy of Betty Belk, whose spirit of compassion and community continues to inspire us. You’ll have an opportunity to spend time with the Belk family and reminisce with Mr. Belk himself!

Register Now

Event Overview
Itinerary
Cancellation Policy
Accommodations
Restaurants
Additional suggested activities
Who’s Registered? list will be added soon!

Registration fee: $190

Deadline to register: January 8

Event Overview

  • Thursday:  
    • Afternoon visit to the UWP Archives at U of A (attendance is limited to 15; transportation not provided).
    • Welcome reception evening.
  • Friday:
    • Free day to sight-see, shop, or visit your old host families and other alumni.
    • Optional add-on visit* to the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, Arizona ($130). Includes transportation, museum entry, lunch at the museum, and a drive through Texas Canyon. Minimum 30 to proceed.
  • Saturday: 
    • Betty Belk celebration and lunch at Belk family home (transportation not provided).
      Pre-purchased and pre-signed copies of J. Blanton Belk: It’s an unfinished world and it’s still in the making by Mr. Belk will be available to pick up. (Please note personal signing / dedication will not be available on the day).
  • A tree to be planted at Sandhill Farm (see below for more info) dedicated to a person of your choice is included with your registration.
  • Please consider a donation to the UWPIAA in Betty’s honor when you register, which will help us support The Haven, a Tucson nonprofit organization dedicated to healing trauma and addiction in women. Betty was a long-time supporter of The Haven. It is the only gender-specific treatment provider in Southern Arizona serving all women, including transgender, pregnant, postpartum, and parenting women.

*The Amerind Museum visit is NOT included in your $190 registration cost. You can choose to add it when you register.

Sandhill Farm

A very special place in the hearts of Betty and Blanton Belk, Sandhill Farm provides a unique combination of conservation, wildlife viewing, and agricultural activity, making it both ecologically significant and an important cultural landscape in  Southern Arizona. Visitors can experience vast winter crane migrations, observe diverse wildlife, and explore the scenic Whitewater Draw wetlands.

Many people know Mr. Belk as the enthusiastic and passionate founder and Chairman Emeritus of Up with People. Some may also know of his love for the outdoors, which developed during his childhood in Virginia. He learned to fish and hunt from his father, instilling in him a deep love and respect for the countryside. Although the Belks loved Tucson and the Sonoran Desert, Mr. Belk missed duck hunting and watching migrating waterfowl.

However, in 1987, still an avid outdoorsman, Mr. Belk was thrilled to find a piece of property not too far from Tucson with plenty of water to attract migrating ducks. Water acts as a magnet for waterfowl flying over Arizona on their way to the rice fields in Mexico.

This property became Sandhill Farm, which the Belk family purchased incrementally in Cochise County in Southern Arizona beginning in 1987. The name “Sandhill” is a tribute to the 30,000 to 40,000 sandhill cranes that winter in the Whitewater Draw valley. Today, Sandhill Farm comprises 1,000 acres of deeded land owned by the Belks, including 112 acres of seasonal wetland and 12 acres of irrigated farmland that serve as a habitat for threatened and endangered species.

Nearly ten years ago, Sandhill Farm received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help save the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher by planting 750 Goodding’s black willow trees. The farm boasts several ponds; though not the largest, perhaps the prettiest is Betty’s Bowl. A good number of the willow trees have thrived there, and so we dedicate our trees — which will be planted in this special spot, as well as elsewhere on the property — in memory of our alumni friends who have passed.

Itinerary

Thursday, Jan. 21

  • 1:45 pm: U of A tour and visit to the UWP Archives, led by Elaine Crepeau, research archivist and executive assistant to Blanton Belk (note that you must sign up for this tour in advance when you register for the event, as space is limited to 15 participants).
  • 4:00 pm: Check-in for the weekend opens.
  • 5:00 pm: Welcome Reception at Embassy Suites Paloma Village.

Friday, Jan. 22

  • Free day to spend with friends or host families sightseeing, shopping, or strolling down memory lane at the U of A if you wish! See Recommended Activities below for more ideas.
  • Optional add-on visit to Amerind Museum and drive through Texas Canyon (not included in registration). Details on times will be shared with participants before their arrival.

Saturday, Jan. 23

  • Noon: Gather at the Belk-Arenas home for a very special luncheon in Betty Belk’s honor, hosted by Dr. Miguel and Katie Belk-Arenas. There will be entertainment and an opportunity for one-to-one time with Mr. Belk. (As it is high flu season, we will ask that you observe social distancing and wear a mask for this interaction.)

Sunday, Jan. 24

  • Depart (hotel rates are good through Monday for anyone wishing to extend their stay).

Registration Cancellation Policy

  • 100% refund less $35  cancellation fee if canceled by December 20
  • 50% refund less $ 35 cancellation fee if canceled by January 8
  • No refund after January 8

Accommodations

Embassy Suites Paloma Village   3110 E. Skyline Dr., Tucson, AZ 85718

  • Discounted group rate:  $179.00 + 12.05% Sales Tax/per room – per night 
  • Dates group rate is available: Nights of January 21 – 24, 2027 (checking out no later than January 25)
  • A link to book your room will be included in your registration confirmation email
  • Last date to book: January 2
  • Hotel cancellation is per the hotel policy

This is an all-suite property. Your room reservation includes:

  • Complimentary hot breakfast buffet with made-to-order eggs and omelets ($20.00 value)
  • Complimentary reception each night (5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.) ($25.00 value)
  • Complimentary parking ($15.00 value)
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi throughout hotel

Restaurants

NEXT TO THE HOTEL:

ON THE OTHER CORNERS OF THE INTERSECTION NEAR THE HOTEL:

Recommended additional activities on your own in Tucson

SHOPPING NEAR THE HOTEL:

GALLERIES NEAR THE HOTEL

Walking distance:

Close by yet need transportation:

Native American Jewelry:

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