Contact: Maridith Geuder
A Mississippi State University social fraternity is sponsoring two weekend benefits to support ongoing research for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Phi Delta Theta's second annual Greek Charity Volleyball Tournament begins at 2:30 p.m. Friday [Aug. 27] and 10 a.m. Saturday [the 28th]. Following the Saturday tournament, the chapter will host a public band party to begin at 9 p.m. at the International Bistro restaurant in downtown Starkville.
Free to all at the chapter residence located near the south end of Robert L. Jones Drive, the volleyball tournament will involve 20 teams representing MSU fraternities and sororities.
The band party will feature "Audiodrive," a popular Central Mississippi rock band formed last year from two Starkville and MSU groups. Individual tickets for the International Bistro event are $5 and may be purchased at the door or online at http://www.msuphi.com.
Proceeds from the public volleyball tournament will be derived from the sale of food, drinks and T-shirts; from the band party, ticket sales.
Tournament chairman Dylan Bradshaw of Jackson said the 70-member chapter is working hard to surpass the $10,000 total raised last year. Proceeds from the 2004 fund-raisers will be presented to officials of the California-based ALS Association during a Nov. 7 "Walk to d'Feet ALS" event in Memphis, Tenn., he added.
Corporate co-sponsors for the weekend activities include The Image Place of Tupelo; Magnolia Forest Products and St. Dominic Hospital, both of Jackson; and Northeast Mississippi Coca-Cola Bottlers, Papa John's and Stromboli's, all of Starkville.
Phi Delta Theta was founded in 1848 at the University of Miami at Ohio. The MSU chapter was chartered in 1991.
For more information, contact Bradshaw at (662) 325-7544 or volleyball@msuphi.com .