Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 9-8-17

Features
FAMU Fans Preparing To Paint The City Orange & Green For Upcoming Tampa Classic Game
Bay Area residents are ecstatic about the return of an HBCU Classic
The Florida A & M Univer- sity (FAMU) Rattlers will host the Tennessee State Tigers for the inaugural and historic FAMU Tampa Classic. This game represents the first HBCU classic game the city has hosted in over 20 years. The FAMU Tampa Classic will welcome thousands of fans, from both universities, who are anticipating a great foot- ball game and an equally excit- ing halftime show featuring The Marching 100 and The Aristocrat of Bands.
The weekend will also fea- ture several social events in- cluding an alumni boat ride, golf tournament, fan fest and tailgate. Kick-off for the FAMU Tampa Classic is 6 p. m. on Saturday, September 16th at Raymond James Sta- dium. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or the FAMU box office (800) 843- 0788. Group (10+) discounts are also available.
The Tampa Bay commu- nity is looking forward to the return of Black college football to its city. It has missed the vibrancy, friendly fellowship and unique atmosphere that HBCU classic games offer. "We've waited so long for a classic game to return back to
WENDELL DUGGINS ...President, Tampa Chapter FAMU National Alumni Association
Tampa. We look forward to all of the school spirit and the people just enjoying each other," says Rick Kinsey, a 1985 FAMU graduate and Tampa native. "It is also a great opportunity to introduce these stellar HBCUs to our young people."
Kinsey, a member of the Plant City Chapter of the Na- tional Alumni Association (NAA), spearheaded a fundraising campaign which raised more than $2,000 in an effort to offer more than 80 local students a glimpse into the HBCU experience.
While Saturday's game is the main attraction, the City of Tampa can expect to be sur- rounded by a sea of orange and green from Thursday - Sun- day.
"Classic games are about the fellowship. It's a big FA- MUly reunion for us. I pray for victory on the football field and at halftime," says Wen- dell Duggins, president of the Tampa Chapter NAA. "We certainly hope that this will be an annual affair and the com- munity will continue to sup- port FAMU."
For more information about the game and related events, please visit www.tam- pafootballclassic.com. For media inquiries, please contact Keisha Boyd - keisha@pick- ettpr.com.
Media credentials are open and available for submission on the site's contact us page.
RICK KINSEY ...Member, Plant City Chapter FAMU NAA
Tampa’s Nathaniel ‘Golden Boy’ Gillespie Passes In Houston, TX
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
One of the former out- standing athletes at George S. Middleton High School passed away on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, in Houston, Texas.
Nathaniel “Golden Boy” Gillespie was 70 years old, and would have cele- brated a birthday on Oct. 9th. He had battled cancer for the past year.
A 4-letter student athlete (1963-67), Gillespie played on Middleton’s State Champi- onship Basketball team in 1964. He was also a running back for (the late) legendary Coach William O. Bethel.
Following high school, Gillespie continued his edu- cation at Texas Southern Uni- versity (TSU). He played on the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Champi- onship football team.
Following graduation, he began a successful coaching career, coaching high school and college athletes. Gille- spie coached the Women’s Basketball team at TSU, 1970-1981. The team finished as national runner-up in 1981.
Three of the members of that team were Tampa na-
NATHANIEL ‘GOLDEN BOY’ GILLESPIE
tives: Darlene Hale- Stower, Sybil Reddick and Gina Borton.
He was an assistant on the TSU football team when they went to the NAIA Men’s Na- tional Championship.
His stellar coaching ca- reer, earned him many awards from various colleges.
He was a member of sev- eral Coaches Associations. Two years ago, July 18, 2015, the Prairie View University Interscholastic Coaches Asso- ciation inducted “Golden Boy” into the Coaches Hall of Fame in Houston, TX.
According to his sister in Tampa, Naomi Trigg, serv- ices for Gillespie will be held in Houston on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017