Aug. 10, 2012

The Memphis Tigers PAWS (Preparing Athletes for Winning Success) program announced today a goal to collect 10,000 books at the Tigers' first football game on Sept. 1. The campaign has been termed "10,000 Books from Tiger Fans."

All books collected will be donated to seven Memphis City Schools deemed "Innovation Zone" schools. These are schools with limited resources that are identified as needing help to succeed at a higher level.

Tiger fans are asked to bring new or gently used books to the first football game on Sept. 1 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. kickoff when the Tigers take on UT Martin in their home opener.

Books will be collected at all entrances to the stadium by student-athletes and members of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). After collection, books will be transported to the seven local schools by SAAC members.

"Our student-athletes have done an incredible job of giving back to the Memphis community this past year with over 2,500 service hours," Kristin Rusboldt, Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development said. "Last year, they wanted to do a small book collection at some of our athletic events. We collected over 1,000 books and decided this year, we wanted to do so much more."

Miska Clay Bibbs, Coordinator of Community and Volunteer Relations for Memphis City Schools, is appreciative of the partnership with the PAWS program.

"The partnership between the University of Memphis Athletic Department and Memphis City Schools is a great example of the kind of community involvement that helps push the future leaders of Memphis forward," said Bibbs.

Tiger fans that are unable to attend the game but would still like to donate can drop their books off in room 107 at the Athletic Office Building.

"We are really excited about this goal," Rusboldt said. "We think that, with the help of the Memphis community, we can get to 10,000 books at that first game and maybe even more. We all have books sitting around and this is a great way to clear some shelf space and help out a great cause."

"This is an exciting game for our fans, our staff and our players," Fuente said. "What a great way to kick off the season and also show some pride in our community." For more information, contact Kristin Rusboldt at (901) 678-2388 or khopkins@memphis.edu.

Single game tickets for the football opener against UT Martin are now on sale. Fans can purchase a single game ticket here.