The University will celebrate Mike the Tiger’s 14th birthday Friday.
Tiger Athletic Foundation Collegiate Club and Student Media are sponsoring a “birthday bash” for the Bengal tiger, although his real birthday is not until Oct. 18. But students are invited to donate funds to the building campaign for Mike’s new habitat.
“I hope all of Mike’s friends, and especially his favorite students, will come out and help us celebrate Mike Day on Friday,” Chancellor Mark Emmert said. “It’s a perfect occasion to show support for the effort to build Mike a new home, and the fun should get everyone excited and ready for Saturday’s big game.”
The “Mike Day” celebration is part of the “I Like Mike” campaign, which TAF began in 2001.
Valery Cotton, an ISDS senior and TAF Collegiate Club vice-president, said students can join Mike from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. between his cage and the PMAC for food, music and fun.
Participating students can make a $10 donation to the campaign and receive a T-shirt with the “I Like Mike” logo on the front and a picture of Mike clawing his way through the shirt on the back. Cotton said students also can use the white T-shirt for Saturday’s “White Out the Gators” game.
Students who contribute at least $10 also will receive free lunch and birthday cake from Podnuh’s Barbecue, Ralph and Kacoo’s, LSU Dining and Winn-Dixie.
John Alford, an international trade and finance senior and TAF Collegiate Club social chair, said they are preparing food for about 600 people and have purchased about 750 T-shirts.
Cotton said students do not have to be a member of TAF Collegiate Club to donate or join the celebration, but they will have the opportunity to join at the event.
Cotton said the main event at the celebration will be the unveiling of the two thermometers, which will track the progress of the student and general campaigns, outside Mike’s cage.
TAFCC has already raised $52,000 for the live mascot’s new habitat and its goal is to reach $100,000 by the end of the fall semester.
The success of the student campaign shows students’ school spirit and allows them to give back to the University, Cotton said. She also stressed the importance of the tiger’s new habitat.
“If we don’t get the cage built, whenever Mike passes, we won’t get to have a new mascot,” Cotton said.
Mike’s new habitat will be 15,000 square feet and will feature a waterfall, swimming pond, natural grass and an observatory to allow visitors to view Mike. TAF will begin construction on the project after the completion of fund-raising.
Alford said if it rains, the events will be held underneath the PMAC’s outdoor overhanging walkway.