GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Citadel head coach Brent Thompson will join football coaches from around the state in the name of charity for the seventh annual South Carolina Coaches for Charity on July 26 at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville.

Nearly 300 are expected to be in attendance, including in addition to Coach Thompson head coaches Mike Ayers from Wofford, Bruce Fowler from Furman, Will Muschamp from South Carolina, Buddy Pough from South Carolina State and Dabo Swinney from Clemson. Each will help raise money for their respective charities, and money will also be raised to help sponsor single-parent children attend FCA summer camps.

Additionally, each coach honors his annual recipient of the Jerry Richardson Community MVP Award. Coach Thompson's 2016 award honoree is Foster McKissick, a graduate of The Citadel and President of Fairway Automotive in Greenville.

The South Carolina Coaches for Charity event is sponsored annually by the Fisher DeBerry Foundation, which is led by Hall of Fame and legendary former Air Force head football coach Fisher DeBerry. The foundation supports children of single-parent families.

"This event has come to mean so much for so many people," said Fisher DeBerry. "From the kids who benefit, to the sponsors and guests who get to rub elbows with their favorite coaches, and the coaches themselves, who get to show their charitable heart. We've been in Columbia for the first six years, so we're excited to bring it to the Upstate community for the first time." 

Proceeds raised from the event are split between the coaches' charities. Coach Thompson has chosen the Lowcountry FCA as his beneficiary, which serves more than 1,000 kids in the Charleston area.

Tables and individual tickets are still available, though the evening is nearly sold out. The more tickets and tables purchased by fans of each school, the more money that will go towards that particular coach's charity. For information, visit SouthCarolinaCoaches.com, or contact Fisher DeBerry Foundation representative Burt Trembly at (702) 622-2275 or Burt@CoachingCharities.com.
 
The Citadel's 2016 season opens with two straight SoCon games, beginning at Mercer on Sept. 1 before the home opener Sept. 10 against Furman, which also is the Bulldogs' Military Appreciation game. To purchase tickets, visit CitadelSports.com/tickets or call The Citadel Athletic Ticket Office at 843-953-DOGS (3647).

For more information on The Citadel football, follow @CitadelFootball or visit CitadelSports.com.