Boys & Girls Club Banquet
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Shores

Nutt
By Rita Howell
Sharing the spotlight at Thursday night’s Boys & Girls Club banquet at the Batesville Civic Center will be guest speakers Houston Nutt, head football coach for the Ole Miss Rebels, and NBC Today Show young reporter Deidra Shores of Memphis.
The annual fund-raiser will begin with dinner at 5 p.m.
The event is a major source of revenue for the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Mississippi which operates after-school programs in Batesville, Sardis and Crenshaw, serving about 350 youngsters ages 6-18.
Deidra Shores gained national attention when she won the Today Show’s Kid Reporter contest in November. She is the daughter of Vanessa Conner who is originally from Como. Conner, the daughter of Edward and Gearoldine Wortham of Como, was the valedictorian at North Panola High School in 1993 and now works for FedEx in Memphis.
Since winning the national competition, Deidra has filed TV reports from a cruise and from the International Toy Fair in New York City. In Memphis she has interviewed the mayor, AC Wharton.
The busy 13-year-old attends Colonial Middle School where she maintains a 4.0 GPA. She participates in Memphis’ Playhouse on the Square, and plays the piano, guitar, violin and cello.
Thursday she’ll have a chance to address the Boys & Girls Club members who attend the banquet. Expected are Boys & Girls Club members from Oxford and Tunica, as well as Panola club members and a group from Quitman County.
“Deidra is looking forward to coming,” Belinda Morris, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Mississippi, said. “Her grandparents will be in the audience.”
“I’ve talked with Coach Nutt’s assistant and he is excited about the banquet,” Morris said.
Coach Houston Nutt is in his third year at the University of Mississippi. He led his teams to Cotton Bowl victories in 2009 and 2010.
Nutt has been named SEC Coach of the Year three times. He has been an active supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs.
Entertaining at the banquet will be dancers from the Boys & Girls Club ballet troupe, under the direction of Sharon Hodge.
Members of the South Panola High School Choir will also perform.
Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year Josefh Pope will be recognized.
Tickets for the banquet, $50 each, are on sale at the box office at the Batesville Civic Center.
Call 563-1392 to order or order online at www.batesvilleciviccenter-ms.com or phone the Boys & Girls Club at 578-7309.