FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, February 8, 2007
Please Contact: Mark Hancock, Media & Public Relations, (865) 522-8547 or Hilary Phillips at tipoff@utfan.com
BIG ORANGE TIPOFF CLUB FEBRUARY 27 EVENING DINNER GALA EVENT TICKETS ON SALE NOW! - SELLOUT CROWD EXPECTED AT THE FOUNDRY!
Woody Paige, a UT alumnus and nationally-known ESPN television sports personality and columnist for the Denver Post, will be the featured speaker at a major, special Big Orange Tipoff Club evening pre-game dinner event at The Foundry at World’s Fair Park just prior to the final Senior Night home UT men’s basketball game against the top-ranked Florida Gators, which tips off at 9:00 p.m.
The UT cheerleaders and the Big Orange Banditos Band will be there, as will UT Head Coach Bruce Pearl and Athletics Director Mike Hamilton, making it a festive pre-game pep rally. Dress is “game casual,” so whatever you plan to wear to the game, jeans, sweater, etc., is fine.
Legendary UT Head Coach Ray Mears, the winningest coach in UT men’s basketball history, who has experienced some health problems this season, is hoping to be there as well. We will have roving photographers to take pictures of everyone to make this a memorable evening. We tentatively have Jacqui Pearl, daughter of our own head coach, lined up to sing the National Anthem for us.
Tickets are only $20 for members, $25 for guests, and $250 for a reserved table of 10, and are now on sale. Many tables have already been reserved and space is limited. Our weekly luncheon meetings have been standing-room-only, and this should be a sellout with all available tickets pre-sold. You do NOT have to be a club member to buy tickets.
FREE BONUS FOR ALL TICKETHOLDERS: One of our Big Orange Club Corporate Sponsors, HoundDogs, through their sister company, Crick Printing and Graphics of Knoxville, has graciously printed our stationery and our souvenir tickets for this event on a complimentary basis. In addition, they are offering each ticketholder a coupon on the back of each ticket to redeem for 25% off on one regular priced item at any of their six HoundDogs locations. What this means for you is that you are essentially able to attend this event for FREE if you use the coupon, with the potential for saving even more money than the cost of your ticket!
The cash bars will open at 5:30 p.m. and the buffet lines will begin at 6:00 p.m., with the program to start at 6:45 p.m. The event will be over by 8:00 p.m., in plenty of time to get to the big game, since it has a late tipoff time and it is only a short 5-minute ride through Fort Sanders from the Foundry to the arena.
Parking will be free and plentiful. There will be a silent auction of autographed UT basketballs signed by our speakers for the year, as well as by former lettermen and the men’s and women’s basketball coaching staffs. We will be showing video highlights from the season before the program.
A special collection of Tennessee basketball memorabilia will be on display at this event. It will be worth your time just to see this collection provided by Big Orange Tipoff Club Historian R. Larry Smith.
We are keeping things very informal and prices low so it is affordable for the whole family or all your clients. A special commemorative "thank you" collectible surprise gift that you won’t want to miss will be given to each member in attendance.
Attached please find a ticket order form for the event for you to print and mail, fax, or e-mail back with your funds, or bring with you along with your check to the meeting this coming Tuesday, February 13, at 11 a.m. at our luncheon meeting at Calhoun’s on the River in Downtown Knoxville, to purchase your tickets, which are going fast. You can pick them up this coming Tuesday or we will mail them to you. We may not have any for sale on the night of the event, as it may be a sellout by that time, so please make sure you get your ticket order in now so you won’t be left out.
Please also e-mail us at tipoff@utfan.com or visit our website at www.utfan.com/tipoff for more information, or call Lloyd Richardson, Club President, at (865) 588-5433, or fax him at (865) 588-2083.
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# posted by MrVolunteer @ 3:02 AM
