Bill Curry
The Gulf Coast Athletic Club started its 2016-2017 season on August 29, 2016. President David Lee opened the meeting and thanked all attendees for one of the biggest crowds ever with 103.
President Lee told the audience of GCAC’s mission to celebrate college football and raise money for the Gulf Shores High School Athletic Department and for student athlete scholarships. The main sources of fundraising are an annual golf tournament and donations to the Gulf Coast Athletic Club Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization.
David then called GSHS Principal Ernie Rosado to the podium and presented him a check for $5,000 to cover uniform expenses for two GSHS football teams. This made a total of $36,000 donated by GCAC in the last two years.
David also told the Club of a new, fun, fundraising opportunity for the Club. The On-line Football Pool is a weekly opportunity for all amateur prognosticators to show their stuff by picking winners from a 15 game weekly lineup selected by our Club. Entry is $25 for the year and the year-end leader will get an attractive award. All members will be sent an email with the link to join the GCAC contest.
Prior to his introduction of Coach Bill Curry, Gaylon McCullough talked about the significance of contributing to the GCAC Foundation. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible and an easy way to show your support for the Dolphins. He noted more than $150,000 had been contributed by the Club over the past 15 years.
He then introduced Coach Curry, who he described as not only a great player and coach, but a great friend as well. Coach Curry played under Coach Bobby Dodd at Georgia Tech, then played under Coach Vince Lombardi with the Green Bay Packers. After retirement, he coached at Georgia Tech, Alabama, Kentucky, and Georgia State as well as being a football analyst for ESPN. His spell-binding presentation of his life from age 12 on was truly inspirational as he told of true life examples of how good coaches maximize the best talent in their players.
After the 50/50 drawing was held, the meeting adjourned at 8:40pm.