(Starkville, MS) December 1, 2022 – Starkville Parks & Recreation launches the Jeffery Simmons Scholarship Fund, as a part of a continued partnership between Starkville Parks and the NFL Pro-Bowler. The inaugural fund comes as an extension to Simmons’ $75,000 sponsorship deal with the parks system, which also includes naming rights to the multipurpose turf field at the Starkville Sportsplex where he will host his annual football camp for the next ten years.
“I want to show kids that it’s great to excel in sports, but you have to be able to thrive in other areas of life as well,” said Jeffery Simmons, Defensive Tackle for the Tennessee Titans. “They need to understand that regardless of what you want to do in the future, you have to prioritize academics at this level to set the foundation for your future.”
The scholarship fund is targeted towards families experiencing financial hardship and features three categories: Academic for both Starkville and Noxubee County residents and community-based scholarships open to everyone. Applicants vying for academic scholarships will enter an essay contest to win, while community-based scholarship applicants will be picked at random.
“Jeffery’s scholarship fund is designed to mirror the real-world experience,” says Ashli Coggins, Marketing & Sponsorships Manager for Starkville Parks & Recreation. “It offers incentives for strengths in academia, but also recognizes and provides opportunities for students who thrive in other areas of life, which are equally important.”
Applicants are required to be enrolled in a Mississippi school district for the 2022 – 2023 school year and should be able to prove they are receiving free or reduced lunch. For academic
scholarships, applications will be filtered to fit the residency requirement set forth for the scholarship fund. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2023.
Funding for prizes will be evenly distributed among the three categories of scholarships. Prizes will be awarded in the form of supplemental school or community-based material and divided among a wide range of ages. Winners will be announced in the late spring of 2023, when the dates for the 2023 Jeffery Simmons Football Camp are announced.
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Starkville Parks & Recreation and Cornerstone Sports Complex are located in Starkville, Mississippi, Mississippi's Premiere College Town. Starkville is the most populated city within the Golden Triangle Region and is home to Mississippi State University. Boasting a rich history in sports, the numerous park facilities have a variety of different playing fields, along with a splash pad and pool, and house recreational programs like soccer, baseball, pickleball, flag football, and basketball. Starkville Parks & Recreation and Cornerstone Sports Complex are members of the SF Network, the Nation's largest and fastest-growing network of sports facilities, and are operated by the industry leader in outsourced operations, The Sports Facilities Companies. For more information, visit Starkville Parks & Recreation.
The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) are the Nation’s leading resources for the management and development of sports, recreation, wellness, and events facilities. As a turn-key solution for community leaders and developers alike, SFC services span the gamut of sports and recreation needs from sports tourism & recreation master planning, program planning, and feasibility through professional facility management services. Our 30+ managed venues and 1500+ team members, represented by the SF Network, welcome more than 25 million guest visits and produce over $250 million in economic impact each year. To learn more, please visit SportsFacilities.com and theSFnetwork.com.