Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University and the American Cancer Society are inviting members of the campus and surrounding communities to attend the inaugural “TACKLE CANCER” Kickoff Event.
Taking place Thursday [Oct. 8] at Davis Wade Stadium’s Gridiron Club, festivities begin at 7 p.m. Cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served. The event also will feature a silent auction and special appearances by The Famous Maroon Band, new Bully mascot Jak and MSU cheerleaders.
Straton Karatassos, MSU associate athletic director for development, will serve as emcee.
Tickets are $50 per person. To purchase tickets, make a general donation or obtain sponsorship information, contact Libba Hardwick at Libba.Hardwick@cancer.org or visit main.acsevents.org/tacklecancer.
“Mississippi State is the first school in the SEC to launch the new ‘TACKLE CANCER’ breast cancer awareness program benefitting the American Cancer Society,” said Julia Meyers, corporate relations account manager for ACS Mid-South Division in Birmingham, Alabama.
Victoria A. “Tori” Wilson, co-director for the MSU Student Association’s health and sustainability committee, said breast cancer awareness activities have been scheduled for the week leading up to Saturday’s [Oct. 10] “Think Pink” home football game against the Troy University Trojans.
Fans in the upper levels of Davis Wade Stadium are encouraged to wear white, while those in the lower levels are asked to wear maroon.
Breast cancer survivors also will be honored during the game. Those who would like to be recognized are asked to contact Meyers at (404) 538-6069 or julia.meyers@cancer.org.
The week’s events include:
Oct. 7—Wellness Wednesday on the Drill Field
The SA’s health and sustainability and community and governmental relations committees will pass out stickers, hashtag #TACKLECANCERMSU bracelets and fast fact sheets to raise breast cancer awareness. Additionally, committee members will be promoting a #TACKLECANCERMSU Instagram contest. Prizes will be awarded.
Oct. 8, 4-6 p.m.—The Pink Dawg Walk, Chadwick Lake walking track at Joe Frank Sanderson Center
MSU’s Department of Health Promotion and Wellness again is sponsoring this free, family-friendly breast cancer awareness event. The first 350 people who complete the walk will receive a free t-shirt. Breast health and cancer prevention information will be available at various educational stations. Participants also can enjoy samplings of healthy recipes and other free treats. Prizes will be awarded to those deemed the best dressed in pink attire.
Oct. 9—Pink Friday
In addition to supporting the university’s “Maroon Friday” tradition, interested members of the campus community are encouraged to wear pink all week to promote breast cancer awareness.
For more details, contact Wilson at vaw55@msstate.edu.
Additional information about MSU Athletics may be found at hailstate.com.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.