Must-Watch Game This Weekend?

There is a school of thought that the most compelling athletic contest this Saturday is not Cardinals v. Brewers or, even, Missouri v. Colorado. Rather, the eyes (and hearts) of many St. Louisans will fixed on a football game between the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Tuskegee University (in the Edward Jones Dome @ 4 pm).

That game’s extraordinary significance is due to its designation as the 13th annual Gateway Football Classic, an important charity event sponsored by the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation. Over the past dozen or so years, the Foundation has used the revenue generated by the game and a weekend of events and sponsorships to (among other things) award more than 90 scholarships sending local students to college.

As I say in meeting after meeting, nothing we do is as important as making sure that our kids are educated for thoughtful lives, trained for good jobs, and inspired to become the next leaders of our City.

I’ll be at the Gateway Classic President’s Breakfast this morning to thank the volunteers, staffers, and sponsors — including AT&T, the title sponsor — that have contributed their time and resources to make the Gateway Classic a great game in the Dome and a great weekend in the City.