University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari and several members of the Wildcats visited Georgetown July 14 as part of a tour to raise money for tornado victims in western Kentucky.
Fans started lining up early in the morning, and by the 1 p.m. start time they were stretched from one end of the building to the other.
Craig Phelps, a UK fan from Frankfort, stood in line starting at 8:30 in the morning, but there were “five or six people” in front of him, he said. Phelps brought a bat signed by many members of the 2012 national championship team which still needed Calipari’s signature.
The signing at the Georgetown Kroger was part of a tour that also went to Louisville, London, Somerset, and Morehead. A special edition poster with many members from current and past Wildcat teams on them was available free and donations were collected for the tornado relief efforts in Western Kentucky.
Kroger, which is hosting the tour, kicked off the event by presenting an oversized check for $10,000 for the tornado relief efforts.
Members of the current UK basketball team, CJ Fredricks, Savhir Wheeler and Jacob Toppin were also at the event getting pictures with fans and talking but were prohibited by NCAA rules from signing autographs.
The team’s first games this year will be exhibition action in the Bahamas.
Peter Wilson can be reached at pwilson@news-graphic.com.
