BRAA donor celebration dinner to feature Greg Gumbel

MURFREESBORO - The Blue Raider Athletic Association's annual Donor Celebration Dinner will have a different flair this year. The change received a tremendous response as the event is already sold out.

Slated for Aug. 12, this year's dinner will for the first time be held at Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. The event will also for the first time feature a guest speaker – sportscaster Greg Gumbel.

"We've never had a guest speaker of this magnitude before, so having Greg Gumbel there will be a huge addition," said Bethany Thurston, Director of Development/Stewardship and Special Events for the Blue Raider Athletic Association.

Gumbel is best known for his work on CBS broadcasts of the National Football League and college basketball. He is currently the host of "Inside the NFL," which airs on Showtime and NFL Network.

In addition to his work on CBS, Gumbel has worked on networks like ESPN, NBC and others, and has hosted the Winter Olympics and World Figure Skating Championships to go along with football, basketball and baseball duties. He is also one of four broadcasters to have been a host and play-by-play announcer for Super Bowls, and was the first African-American (and Creole) announcer to do play-by-play for a major sports championship in the U.S.

Gumbel was secured through the Jones College of Business, through his involvement with the Premiere Speakers Bureau. The partnership between the Jones College of Business and the Premiere Speakers Bureau was shared with the BRAA.

"The Jones College of Business has been a huge help with this event, financially and with the planning process," added Thurston. "It's always a great thing when two campus groups can partner to show our appreciation for the generous contributions that we receive from our donors. "

Gumbel isn't the only highlight of the event. There will also be entertainment provided by Live Circuit Band after the program, and a cash bar will be available.
This is the first time the athletic association will have a band at the Donor Celebration Dinner, which Thurston said hopefully will draw in a larger crowd. Student-athletes will also help with the event for the first time.

"We definitely want this event to appeal to our entire donor base," she said. "By having a band, it's going to make the event more entertaining."

Previously, the dinner was called the Donor Appreciation Dinner, but Thurston said this year they wanted to change things up in or to further celebrate the Blue Raider Athletic Association donors.

"This year we've also changed the name to Donor Celebration Dinner because we really want to celebrate what the donors do for us," Thurston said.
Four awards will be given during the celebration dinner to further celebrate donors, including:

Jeff Hendrix Business Person of the Year, given to a successful business person who exemplifies commitment, dedication, generosity and one who has supported the Blue Raider Athletic Association's mission;
Liz Rhea Member of the Year, given to a Blue Raider Athletic Association member who has exemplified being TRUE BLUE to the core;
Bill and Theresa Ketron Lifetime Leadership Award, given to a Blue Raider Athletic Association member who has been an instrumental part of leading MT Athletics to the next level and helping fulfill the mission of the original members of the Blue Raider Club;
Roxy McHenry Loyalty Award, given to a Blue Raider Athletic Association member who has shown loyalty to MT Athletics, the community and to the Blue Raider Athletic Association.

Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the night will officially start at 6:30. Guests should dress semi-formal.

Middle Tennesee State University Athletics

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