STARKVILLE — The one thing Joe Moorhead hasn’t had in his first months as Mississippi State’s football coach is excess time. Appearances for anyone other than his players, staff members, or recruits have been few and far between, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Golden Triangle knows that.
That’s why the organization is so thrilled he will be the featured speaker Thursday at the club’s yearly Sports Talk Charity Fundraiser at the Bryan Building on MSU’s campus.
The event will include a silent auction and a sponsorship drive in an effort to raise funds for the club.
“It’s an extremely big deal,” said Nadia D. Colom, the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Golden Triangle. “This event has traditionally been tied to Mississippi State, so the timing of him being new to the community and being one of the first groups to get exclusive time with, get to know him better and have the time to hear his vision is a great thing.”
The doors to the event open at 5:30 p.m. Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served at the social hour. There will be a silent auction before the program, which begins at 7. Colom hopes Moorhead’s presence and the change of venue to the spacious Bryan Building will boost attendance and make it more convenient for MSU fans close to campus to attend, to hear Moorhead, and to support the club.
Colom said the social hour from 5:30 to 7 is for all of the club’s supporters and for sponsors to get better acquainted with the club and enjoy what she has labeled as “overwhelming amount of support for food.” Colom said local restaurants have donated all the food for the event.
Colom said the silent auction will include signed athletic memorabilia for MSU, Ole Miss, and Alabama, plus non-sports items including hotel packages, spa packages, a two-night stay at a local cabin, a piece of furniture, artwork, and more.
In February, Moorhead spoke at Overstreet Elementary School, where one of his sons is a student, at a Fathers Matter Breakfast. He’s looking forward to helping the community again.
“I think they’re important to me in the sense that when you’re fortunate enough to be in this position as an SEC head coach where you’re a visible figure in the community,” Moorhead said, “the things you can do to positively impact young kids and their families, I think you have to take advantage of those opportunities.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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