BRIEFS

Gamecock Club

banquet Aug. 12

The Cherokee County Gamecock Club's fall banquet will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at Stephenson Dining Hall on the Limestone College campus.

Dinner will be served at 6 p.m.

Former quarterback and current play-by-play announcer Todd Ellis will be the guest speaker.

Gamecock Club administrative staff also will be present to answer questions.

The club will hold an auction for eight season tickets as well as four tickets to the Clemson game at themeeting.

Friends of Carolina will recognize this yera's scholarship winners.

Tickets are $15 and must be purchased at Sub Station II, Harold's Restaurant and Dr. Jolly's office or by calling Mike Phillips at 812-1487, Ed Poole at 489-8746 or Randy Hammett at 489-3839 or by email at gamecocks@cherokeegamecockclub.

com

Granard football practice begins Aug. 12

Granard Middle School will begin football practice on Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. Players must have a physical performed by their family physician. Physical forms are available at the school office.

Players should wear shorts, tennis shoes and a T-shirt to each practice.

Parris holds

free basketball clinic

Gaffney High girls varsity coach Stacey Parris will hold a clinic free of charge for girls in grades 4 and up today and Thursday, July 24 at the Gaffney High gym.

The clinic will begin at 1 p.m. and end at 4 p.m.

Stewart donates

bulletproof vests

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart is donating bulletproof, stab-proof vests to police dogs in Indiana and four other states.

Stewart, a Columbus native, donated the money to provide 30 vests for the Indiana State Police K- 9 unit and 10 for police dogs waiting for vests in Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina and Minnesota.

Susie Jean of Socorro, N.M., requested a grant from the Tony Stewart Foundation for vests for the 14 dogs currently in the Indiana State Police unit. Stewart upped the amount to cover more vests upon learning the state police unit was expanding to 30 dogs. The vests cost $895 each, according to information provided by the foundation, meaning 40 vests would total more than $35,000.

Jean founded Vest 'N P.D.P. (Police Dog Protection) Inc., a nonprofit that collects donations to purchase bullet- and stab-proof vests for police dogs. So far, the nonprofit has provided 169 vests to police dogs in 22 states, not including the Stewart donation.

''Police work dogs give everything they have in the service of mankind. How nice it is to be able to give them something in return,'' state police Superintendent Paul Whitesell said

Panthers sign

2 more draft picks

The Carolina Panthers signed third-round draft pick Charles Godfrey and seventh-rounder Geoff Schwartz on Monday, leaving them with only two unsigned draft choices.

Terms were not available.

The only remaining draftees the Panthers have not yet signed are first-rounders Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah.

Godfrey, a cornerback at Iowa, has been playing free safety since minicamp. He had 193 tackles in 47 games, intercepting seven passes for the Hawkeyes.

Schwartz started 36 of 41 games at offensive tackle for Oregon, where he opened holes for Stewart and helped the Ducks lead the Pac-10 in rushing.

The Panthers also waived tight end Chad Upshaw. He was claimed off waivers from Denver in April.