OXFORD, Miss. – The chaos of construction and expansion surrounding the
Inn at Ole Miss ceases to make way for dinner and dancing Aug. 29, as
participants celebrate the dedication of the newly expanded luxury
hotel.
The new addition to the University of Mississippi campus is to be
dedicated at a 6 p.m. ceremony and reception. Donors to the expansion
project who have made gifts of $100 or more are to be invited to
continue in the festivities immediately following, including a catered
buffet dinner beginning at 8 p.m.
“The dinner will feature arrays of food, including a beef tenderloin
carving station; a seafood extravaganza, featuring shrimp cocktail,
marinated crab claws, smoked scallops and salmon; a pasta station;
various fresh fruits and cheeses,” said Interim Alumni Association
Executive Director Tim Walsh. “A cash bar also will be available for
beverages.”
The Bouffants headline the entertainment at the donor reception in the hotel’s new Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom.
Though the expanded hotel soon will be opening for business, much remains to be done. Completion of the tower and ballroom were part of Phase I of a three phase project.
Current office space in the hotel is being converted to a business center that offers workstations with high speed Internet access and the ability to print documents for hotel guests. High speed wireless access also is available to guests and is accessible from the entire hotel.
Phase II includes converting the existing hotel lobby and porte cochere into a fitness center. Phase II also includes adding a pitched, metal roof to the existing hotel to match the Triplett Alumni Center and new tower.
Every suite in the new hotel tower has been sponsored, and only two rooms remain available for sponsorship in the original inn. Rooms may be sponsored with a tax deductible gift of $55,000, which may be contributed over time, if needed. The campaign has garnered more than $16.5 million in gifts and pledges.
Donors not interested in a room sponsorship can choose from other naming opportunities by sponsoring patios, benches, chandeliers or alumni bricks.
Individuals or organizations can learn more about donor naming opportunities and tax deductible contributions to The Inn at Ole Miss by contacting Walsh at 662 915 7375, tim@olemiss.edu or by visiting the Ole Miss Alumni Association Web site .