A ceremony officially renaming Bulldog Boulevard to Cougar Boulevard took place at the intersection of North Canyon Road and the newly named road on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
The event was attended by various officials from the city of Provo and BYU, including Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi, BYU President Kevin J Worthen and Cosmo the Cougar. A small crowd of Provo residents and BYU students stood in the middle of the intersection as they watched the ceremony. Some members of the football team were also in attendance.
Kaufusi welcomed the crowd and presented the renaming as a gift to the university in the name of “partnership and community.” She said she was giving the gift in honor of the 144 year anniversary of BYU and Provo. She also noted the important safety features of the road, which is currently under construction. When completed, the road will include a buffered bike lane — Utah’s third.
President Worthen told the audience some facts about cougars. He said some cougars come from Cusco, Peru, and that the city was originally built to be shaped like a cougar. The citizens wanted their city to be the gateway to the universe. President Worthen then thanked Kaufusi for the gift. He said the road would serve as a gateway to the university.
Kaufusi and Cosmo climbed into separate cranes and were lifted in the air for the unveiling of the sign. The crowd began to count down and cheer as the BYU fight song rang out through the sound system. The blanket fell off of the sign and landed on top of President Worthen, who smiled and removed it. The bright blue aluminum read, “Cougar Blvd.”
Mayor Kaufusi was then lowered via crane and presented the BYU dignitaries with a commemorative gift: a duplicate of the street sign reading Cougar Blvd. As the event ended, music played and the crowd lined up for free Cougar Tail donuts.
