2003 TTU Pride Days kicked off Monday, runs through Aug. 24

COOKEVILLE (Aug. 7, 2003) — It’s not too late for local businesses to get involved with Tennessee Tech University’s annual Pride Days celebration, which kicked off on Monday, Aug. 11, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 24.

In fact, this year’s campaign introduces a new “official TTU Pride Partner” decal that will be distributed to those businesses offering special promotions and hosting special events in observance of the celebration. Those decals will help visitors easily spot TTU Pride Partners and to know where special deals are offered.

“We encourage businesses to use creativity and ingenuity in showing their TTU Pride, but the ultimate goal of this campaign is to help establish a mutually beneficial partnership between the university and the local businesses frequented by our students, faculty and staff,” said Monica Greppin, Director of TTU’s Public Affairs.

And the “Pride Partner” decal is only one of several incentives the university will provide to businesses offering discounts and promotions for the event.

As a way of saying thank you to all TTU Pride Partners, the university will also post business names and special offers — including printable coupons — on its TTU Pride Days web site; encourage students, faculty and staff to support TTU Pride Partners via campus-wide broadcast e-mail messaging; and more.

“Many companies in town offer TTU specials year-round anyway, so they will be automatically designated as ‘TTU Pride Partners’ if they just get in touch with us and tell us about their particular offers,” Greppin said.

Other business owners or managers who wish to participate may download from the university’s Pride Days web site a registration form outlining the details of the discount they choose to offer. Completed forms can be faxed to the Public Affairs Office at 931/372-6138. A list of early TTU Pride Partners is already posted on the university web site.

Businesses are also encouraged to plan special TTU Pride Days events — such as “welcome back” parties with drawings, door prizes or other incentives — and those events will be posted on the TTU web site’s calendar of events too.

Because of recent budget cuts, the university lacks the resources to provide a variety of decorations, but a new batch of TTU Pride signs is available for both businesses and individuals who need them. They can be picked up at the Leslie Town Centre/Chamber of Commerce, Roaden University Center information desk, Hooper Eblen Center ticket office and campus bookstore.

The complete calendar of TTU Pride Days events and list of special promotions will be updated regularly on the TTU Pride Days web site, accessible to everyone through the university’s home page at www.tntech.edu.

For more information about TTU Pride Days or about becoming a TTU Pride Partner, call the Public Affairs Office at 931/372-3214.

 
--Tracey LeFevre
This information posted 13 August 2003