Members of two Mississippi State University fraternities will challenge each other in a football game Saturday night to raise money for charity.
Students in Kappa Sigma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon will participate in the seventh annual Kappa Sigma Charity Classic.
This year, the event will raise money for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. The game starts at 7 p.m. at Starkville High School. Tickets are $5 and are available in front of The Union and at the stadium gate.
Travis Wolfe, public relations director for Kappa Sigma, said the Charity Classic was started by Kappa Sigma members to help in the lives of those who have suffered great hardship and need the support of the community.
“In the past seven years, we (Kappa Sigma) have raised over $250,000 for different charities or needy families across the state,” Wolfe said. “That’s the most money any single organization on campus has been able to give to charity.”
Wolfe said the fraternity chose the foundation because of the growing problem with autism in Mississippi.
This year’s goal is to raise $40,000 to $50,000 for the foundation.
Autism is a neurological disorder that normally appears during the first three years of life. It impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills.
NFL quarterback Doug Flutie and his wife Laurie started the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation to honor their autistic son, Doug Jr., and to help other families who are faced with childhood autism and need support.
Charity chairman Hunter Berry said this is the first year Kappa Sigma has raised money for a national charity.
“This year we decided to pick the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism because of his (Flutie Sr.) in-depth involvement in his foundation and how much good he has done for families that deal with autism,” Berry said.
The fraternity will raise money for the charity by selling T-shirts and tickets for the game and through private donations and sponsors.
They also sell ads to businesses and families across the state to include in a football program which will be sold at the game.
An after-party will be held at Rick’s Cafe featuring the Patrick Smith Band. Cover charge for the after-party is $7 and tickets can be purchased with game tickets in front of The Union or at the game.
Kappa Sigma will accept donations at the front gate during the game.
Anyone unable to attend the Charity Classic who would like to donate to autism research can contact Wolfe at 312-4108.