Less than 100 tickets left for Hansbrough event

Just talked with the Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce and they have less than 100 tickets left for the Tyler Hansbrough Day banquet.

Tickets are $50 per person, you can read more about the event here.

Here's story for Friday's edition of the DAR:

Fewer than 100 tickets remain as of today for the Tyler Hansbrough Day banquet while the program is starting to take shape.

The city will honor Poplar Bluff's most famous basketball player on Thursday, Aug. 13 with a ceremony at Peters Gym and a banquet at the Black River Coliseum.

As of Thursday, 402 of the 500 tickets for the dinner at the coliseum have been sold. Tickets can be purchased at the Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce.

The event at Peters Gym will be free and open to the public but with a shorter program that will feature honors from the city and school to Hansbrough, who already has his No. 50 retired at Poplar Bluff and will be retired by North Carolina.

"It is a special day for the school, a special day for the community and we're really proud to be apart of honoring Tyler Hansbrough with what he's done for Poplar Bluff and Southeast Missouri," said Ernie Lawson, superintendent of Poplar Bluff School District.

"He's represented Poplar Bluff, Southeast Missouri and Poplar Bluff School District just extremely well. He's an outstanding young man and we're just appreciative to be apart of this day."

Along with representatives from the city and school, Hansbrough's former coaches will speak at both events. North Carolina coach Roy Williams has accepted an invitation and will join former Mules coach John David Pattillo on the program.

A representative from the Indiana Pacers, who selected Hansbrough with the 13th pick in the NBA Draft last month, will also be on the program. Larry Bird, president of basketball operations for the Pacers, can not attend but coach Jim O'Brien and Sam Perkins, vice president of player relations and a former Tar Heel and Pacer, may still attend. The team will also send its Fan Van and mascot.

A final list of featured guests and speakers will be released once everybody has made a commitment, said Sam Giambelluca who is among a group of civic leaders organizing the event.

Doors at Peters Gym will open at 4:30 p.m. and the program will start at 5:30. Seating will be general admission (first-come, first-serve basis) and the number of seats available at the gym, which holds about 3,000 for a basketball game, will be determined once the final layout of the stage is set.

A ticket to the banquet does not reserve a seat at Peters Gym.

The dinner, which costs $50 per person, will start at 7:30 p.m. at the coliseum. The banquet will also feature speakers and video highlights from Hansbrough's career.

Proceeds raised from ticket sales will pay for the ceremonies and anything left over will go toward a sign proclaiming Poplar Bluff as Hansbrough's hometown. A tentative location for the sign has been found on the southwest corner of the intersection at Westwood Blvd. and PP Highway (Kanell Blvd.).

Hansbrough will not be available to sign autographs but everybody who attends the events will receive a program that will include a photo and copy of his signature.

To purchase tickets for the banquet, visit the Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce at 111 West Pine. For more information call the Chamber at (573) 785-7761.

If you have any questions about the event, feel free to ask here.

Hansbrough will be sideline 6-8 weeks with an injury, the team announced today (after the paper went to press). Here's an Associated Press story:

Tyler Hansbrough could miss up to two months with a right shin injury, but the Indiana Pacers believe their first-round draft pick will be healthy enough for the start of the season.

The Pacers did not provide details of the injury Friday other than to say the 6-foot-9 forward is expected to miss six to eight weeks ahead of the season. The NBA regular season begins Oct. 27.

Indiana said Hansbrough hurt the shin last season, his final year at North Carolina.

The Pacers took Hansbrough at No. 13 overall in last month's draft and signed him to a three-year contract.

Hansbrough led the Tar Heels to the national championship last season and finished his career as the ACC's career scoring leader.

You can also read more about it here.