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PARKERSBURG -- A man who is the face and the voice of the West Virginia University Mountaineers will speak in Vienna next month to benefit a local non-profit organization.
Tony Caridi, known as the Voice of the Mountaineers, will talk about the approaching football and basketball seasons, predictions, insights, commentaries and other topics.
Caridi will bring Inside the Huddle to Wood County to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg. His presentation will be held 5:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Parkersburg Country Club in Vienna.
"The Boys and Girls Club in Parkersburg is the premier location for the state of West Virginia," Caridi said.
Caridi went to work for the Mountaineer Sports Network in 1987. Caridi replaced the legendary Jack Fleming, who also was the Voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers, in 1997 as the Voice of the Mountaineers.
Inside the Huddle also will be in Martinsburg and in Charleston for events benefiting nonprofit organizations there, Caridi said. The August event is not the only time Caridi has been in Parkersburg on behalf of the Boys and Girls Club.
Tickets for the August event and additional information are available by calling 304 485-6434 or by going to http://BGCParkersburg.org/InsidetheHuddle.
Tickets are $75 each; however, several levels of sponsorship are available: $3,000, Speaker Sponsor: Table for 8 and introduction to Caridi; $1,500, Gold Table Sponsor, Table for 8 in a Prime Location; $1,000, Blue Table Sponsor, Table for 8.
Caridi was a speaker several years ago for the annual dinner sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club, Ben Shuman, executive director of the club, said. This is the first year for Inside the Huddle and the Boys Club, he said.
"We've had a lot of positive with his presentation at our annual dinner," Shuman said.
The Boys and Girls Club has phased out the dinner and the intent is to replace it with Inside the Huddle, depending on its success this year, Shuman said. Caridi's appearance at the dinner was considered a success, he said.
Tickets and tables remain available, he said.
This week, the Mountaineers under football Head Coach Dana Holgorsen were picked to be No. 2 in the Big 12 conference behind Oklahoma by the press in the conference, Caridi said.
Compared to previous pre-season ratings, "this is a significant improvement," he said.
But it's a lot of pressure and things can change from one game to the next, Caridi said.
"That's why we continue to follow them so closely," he said.