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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 02-24-2015, 08:46 PM:

Good to see their money going into the educational end of Kentucky's athletic program.

The University of Kentucky’s Center for Academic and Tutorial Services (CATS) – the first-of-its-kind support program in the nation for student athletes – will be expanded to include an additional tutorial center on the south side of the Lexington campus. Fundraising for the center, which will be located within the new football training complex adjacent to Commonwealth Stadium, is currently underway and UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart announced an initiative to augment the fundraising effort Tuesday.

“Serving our student-athletes, as well as positioning them for success after they leave UK, remains our primary goal as a department,” Barnhart said. “With this unique partnership, we are taking an important step in securing the resources needed to continue to serve them through CATS.”

This significant fundraising initiative will be led by Maker’s Mark and Keeneland, with hopes to raise $2 million for the center over the next five years through their own contributions and from the proceeds of sales of special commemoratives bottles of the distillery’s handmade bourbon.

“Education was so important to my grandparents, who created Maker’s Mark,” said Maker’s Chief Operating Officer Rob Samuels. “They also believed in giving back to the community, and the CATS program is a great way to do that.”

The first commemorative bottle in the series will feature UK basketball coaching legend Adolph Rupp and will be available on store shelves later this spring.

“Coach Rupp was not only a peerless basketball coach, but also a dedicated educator,” explained UK’s Barnhart. “We can’t think of a better figure to kick off this series, and we’re so glad that Maker’s Mark agreed.”

Another element to the fundraising effort is a challenge for other companies to raise a matching $2 million, and Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason announced today that Keeneland will be the first take up the cause.

“Keeneland shares UK’s commitment to excellence in education and its dedication to bettering the lives of its students and community,” Thomason said. “In support of UK and the CATS program, Keeneland is proud to kick off the fundraising campaign by pledging $100,000 over the next five years to the initiative. We ask 19 other organizations to join us in this worthy effort. ”

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Posted by m hamilton (Member # 127) on 02-24-2015, 09:38 PM:

I'm not sure how many years our CATS program has been in existence but it has done great things for our athletes!

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 02-24-2015, 09:43 PM:

This new initiative is even better for the athletes.

Posted by Green-Bean (Member # 13551) on 02-24-2015, 10:54 PM:

I HAVE EVERYONE OF THEM BOTTLES AND WILL GET THIS ONE GOOD LORD WILLING. LAST YEAR WAS DAN ISELL.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 02-24-2015, 11:08 PM:

G-B, do you leave the Makers Mark booze in the bottle or is this a silly question?

Posted by Green-Bean (Member # 13551) on 02-24-2015, 11:09 PM:

GOT MARK STOOPS LAST YEAR , I KNOW I GOT IT.BUT CANT WAIT FOR RUPP.

Posted by m hamilton (Member # 127) on 02-25-2015, 06:07 AM:

WOW, that has to be a pretty nice collection!

Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 02-25-2015, 07:13 AM:

Heh. Only in Kentucky. We have the coal industry sponsoring our basketball team's lodging, now the bourbon and horse racing industries are teaming up to help our tutorial center. Maybe next the toboacco industry will sponsor the baseball team? I mean, you can't play baseball without a chaw.

I think the university needs a new slogan:

"Kentucky. We turn your vices into our virtues"

[Smile]

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 02-25-2015, 07:39 AM:

The Cats tutoring is a great resource for the student athletes. If I would have this resource as a young student, I would have had a 4.0 GPA. Any athlete that flunks out of school is either lazy or has a serious learning disorder, because with free tutoring, all of the "I don't get it" excuses go out the window.

I am not big on collecting bourbon bottles to save. I prefer to open them for myself and guests.

An Adolph Rupp bottle may be the exception. Although, if somebody opened it up down the road to partake, I would not be able to be mad at them.

I did see the Stoops bottle, when it came out. My only gripe with it was that he is on the basketball court doing the Y. He should have been on the football field. I view it as a slap in the face to football. Maybe I shouldn't look at it that way, but that is how I see it. I guess I should look at it as he is getting honored and hasn't even produced yet?

[ 02-25-2015, 07:48 AM: Message edited by: boomdaddy ]

Posted by Green-Bean (Member # 13551) on 02-25-2015, 09:03 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by catmandoo:
G-B, do you leave the Makers Mark booze in the bottle or is this a silly question?

CMD THERE IS NO SUCH THANG AS A SILLY QUESTION IMO, NO I HAVENT OPENED ANY OF THEM, CMD I HAVE A GREAT KY COLLECTION OF THINGS, I GOT PICTURES I PAID 500 DOLLARS FOR.

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 02-25-2015, 09:59 AM:

I have heard that being friends with a small town liquor store owner is one way of being assured of getting most of the collectable MM bottles.

It would be tough to have to wait in line for something and then be told they were sold out. Not sure how many of them get sold out at a quick rate? I am sure there must be several that receive unexpected high demand and sell out. I would expect that those would be worth more, because of the demand.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 02-25-2015, 12:35 PM:

G-B, Glad to hear about your collection, hobbies are always fun. My wife does a lot of crafting and mine is playing golf and do it most every day. [Wink]

Posted by Green-Bean (Member # 13551) on 02-25-2015, 04:34 PM:

I HAVE A GOOD FRIEND THAT OWNS A LIQUOR STORE, THATS HOW I GET MY BOTTLES, COST ME 60 BUCKS.

Posted by m hamilton (Member # 127) on 02-25-2015, 06:17 PM:

At least you have a connection!

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 02-25-2015, 06:34 PM:

It's always good to have a friend in the liquor business.

Posted by m hamilton (Member # 127) on 02-25-2015, 06:36 PM:

I wouldn't know

Posted by Green-Bean (Member # 13551) on 02-25-2015, 10:09 PM:

HE SITS 12 BOTTLS BACK FOR ME EVERY YEAR PARTY CITY IN BELLVUE, PAULCAT PROBABLY KNOWS WHERE ITS AT.

Posted by m hamilton (Member # 127) on 02-25-2015, 10:19 PM:

12 bottles?

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 02-25-2015, 10:21 PM:

G-B, How much do you think you collection is worth?

Posted by m hamilton (Member # 127) on 02-25-2015, 10:30 PM:

How many of these bottle do you have now?