LEXINGTON, Ky. — If you've been looking for a way to get UK men's basketball coach John Calipari's signature on your favorite Wildcats gear, you'll soon be in luck.
Coach Cal is partnering with Kroger next week for a five-stop autograph tour, and it'll benefit those in western Kentucky recovering from the Dec. 2021 tornado outbreak.
What You Need To Know
- Kroger is partnering with UK men's basketball coach John Calipari to benefit western Kentucky tornado recovery
- Coach Cal will travel to five Kroger locations around the state next week to sign autographs and take photos with fans
- Fans are allowed to bring their own item to be autographed, but each store will also have a limited number of special edition posters
From July 12 through July 16, Calipari will make stops at Kroger stores in Louisville, London, Somerset, Georgetown and Morehead to sign autographs and take photos with Big Blue Nation.
All times are local. There will be no charge for autographs or photos, but UK Athletics said donations to benefit tornado victims are encouraged.
Here's where you'll be able to catch Coach Cal:
Tuesday, July 12: Louisville
- 12450 LaGrange Road
- Louisville, Kentucky 40245
- 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Wednesday, July 13: London
- 1732 West Highway 192
- London, Kentucky 40741
- 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Thursday, July 14: Georgetown
- 106 Marketplace Circle
- Georgetown, Kentucky 40324
- 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Friday, July 15: Somerset
- 50 Stonegate Center
- Somerset, Kentucky 42501
- 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Saturday, July 16: Morehead
- 300 Kroger Center
- Morehead, Ky 40351
- 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Fans are allowed to bring their own item to be autographed, but a limited number of special edition posters, designed specifically for this Kroger tour, will be available on-site, free of charge.
In addition to signing his autograph, Calipari is also asking Big Blue Nation for their autographs. Last season, as a tribute to the late Joe B. Hall, Calipari carried a rolled-up program with him to the bench for every game, following Hall’s passing on January 15. This season, Calipari intends to honor Hall in the same way, but has his own program with blank pages he hopes to fill with signatures and well wishes from fans across the state, so he can bring the passion of Big Blue Nation with him onto the bench for every game.
The program will be on-site at every Kroger location during Calipari’s stop and fans are encouraged to sign, organizers said.