Hurricane Florence is bearing down the East Coast as thousands of people in both North and South Carolina have been evacuated. After Hurricane Harvey devastated southeast Texas just one year ago, people are taking the necessary precautions to avoid the massive hurricane.
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The Volunteers program, sticking true to their name, is offering a safe haven for families fleeing the Carolinas for the weekend. Tennessee is taking on the UTEP Miners this Saturday, and they're inviting those people to Neyland Stadium for food and a healthy dose of SEC college football, all of which are free of charge.
Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer, a former captain on the Volunteers football team who later returned to coach the program to the 1998 BCS National Championship, announced that families wishing for a weekend away will be welcomed with open arms on Saturday afternoon.
"Our hearts go out to all the families whose lives have been impacted by the hurricanes and tropical storms along the Atlantic coast. One of our four pillars is warmth, and we feel this is an appropriate way to bring that to life. Certainly, a football game is relatively insignificant in comparison to the realities these evacuees are facing. But if we can provide just a few hours of distraction and normalcy for these families, I believe we should do all we can to make that possible for them." — Phillip Fulmer
Residents of the Carolinas hoping to attend the game can get the free tickets inside a marked tent at the Toyota Volunteer Village, which will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Simply follow the signage that will be posted around Neyland Stadium and bring a state-issued ID to claim your complimentary ticket for Saturday's game.
Additionally, Chick-fil-A Knoxville will be offering 500 Chicken Biscuits at that same tent for evacuees to chow down prior to kickoff.
If that wasn't enough, Walmart is partnering with the United Service Organization to bring 25 military families to the game free of charge.
This is an awesome gesture for a Tennessee program that prides itself on public service, and it should be a great experience for families to help take their minds off the storm pounding the Carolinas back home.
Jeremy Pruitt's Tennessee team is 31.5 point favorite against UTEP. Kickoff is this Saturday at noon on the East Coast.
