Tift Regional Medical Center is gearing up for its Fourth Annual Men’s Event to be held on Saturday, July 31. This year’s theme “Kickoff to Men’s Health” will bring football and men’s health together.

All of the Region 1-AAAAA high school coaches will be on hand to meet fans, preview their upcoming seasons and discuss their teams’ chances. The keynote speaker for the day will be Dr. Jim Hughes, former head coach at Colquitt County High School and Thomasville High School. He won three state titles during 30 years of coaching and has a career record of 247-102-4. He is a member of the Colquitt County and Thomas County Sports Halls of Fame and was inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame last year.

The event will also feature Chris Beckham, the host of the popular Triangle Furniture Football Friday Night radio program that airs during the season. Beckham believes the event is an opportunity for fans of the region teams to meet and start discussing the upcoming season. Region 1-AAAAA is made up of Coffee High, Colquitt County, Lowndes, Tift County and Valdosta High.

“No other sport in South Georgia is followed with the same passion as high school football,” Beckham said. “We think of this as the unofficial start to the football season. After this, all of the teams will begin their official preseason workouts so this is the fans’ first chance to really get together and start talking football.”

"While it’s great for the fans, it will also be great for the media because it brings everyone together under one roof,” Beckham said. “They can ask all of the questions they want and get all of the information they need about these teams in one period. It’s just another way for us to promote high school football and to recognize the coaches and players that we’ll be watching this fall.”

The Football Friday Night show airs each Friday beginning August 20 from 6 p.m.-midnight on 105.9 FM and it is also broadcast before and after Lowndes football on 99.5 FM and before and after Tift County football on 107.5 FM. Beckham said it is the only show of its kind in the state and concentrates solely on South Georgia football.

“We think this is the best football region in the country and if you look at the success that these teams and these coaches have had, it’s hard to argue,” he said. “They all have big fan bases and great traditions. I think that’s what makes this event so special. I don’t know anywhere else that something like this is done for high school programs.”

“Tift Regional will also be providing free health screenings, information booths and fantastic tailgating food,” said TRMC’s Joy Davis. “Screenings will include blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. Door prizes including tool kits and a flat-screen TV will be given away. The health screenings will fit in perfectly with the day’s football theme.

“Partnering with Tift Regional Medical Center makes perfect sense, and we are thrilled to be able to offer so many screenings that these fans can get for free,” Beckham said. “Football season can get your blood pumping pretty good so we want everyone in the best shape possible. They can get healthy, win prizes, eat well and talk about high school football. That’s a pretty good combination.”

The event will be held from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton off Interstate 75, Exit 64. The event is free and requires no registration. For more information, call Tift Regional Medical Center’s Outreach and Development Department at (229) 353-6318.