Ticats’ ‘kickoff luncheon’ set for March 6 in Guelph
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GUELPH The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will hold the official kickoff to their 2013 season at Guelph’s Cutten Fields, directly across from Alumni Stadium, the temporary, one-season home of the Canadian Football League club. The event goes on Wednesday, March 6, and is by invitation.
Some details of the upcoming season in Guelph will be unveiled at the luncheon, which is being billed as a fun time aimed at generating more excitement about the club’s presence in the city. There will be Tiger-Cats cheerleaders in attendance, along with major CFL and team brass.
The Ticats are in the process of repurposing Alumni Stadium and its surrounding campus grounds for an influx of some 15,000 football fans for as many as 10 home games. Meanwhile, civic, university and business leaders are collaborating on ways to make the most of the rare opportunity to host a big league football team and their legions of fans.
“It’s a fun kickoff luncheon,? said Steve Lowe, the Ticats’ marketing director. “It’ll be a fun day of talking some football.?
He said the team’s general manager and head coach Kent Austin, along with CFL commissioner Mark Cohon and team owner Bob Young will be in attendance. Ticats players, alumni and cheerleaders will also be part of the event, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge will address the luncheon.
“I think we are just going to talk about some of the excitement building in the community,? said Lowe. “It will be a power luncheon, with some movers and shakers in town. We are going to have some fun with it.?
The University of Guelph and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed a memorandum of understanding in late November that paved the way for the team to play the 2013 season at U of G’s newly rejuvenated Alumni Stadium. The deal will see the team contribute $500,000 to the university and absorb all the costs related to staging games at the stadium in the coming season.
The Ticats announced last week that it is holding cheerleader tryouts at U of G’s W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre on Sunday. A choreography component and an interview are part of the audition process. The tryout is from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.