Rome, Ga. – Georgia State Rep. Kevin Cooke will be the featured speaker at Shorter University’s Athletic Dinner on Thursday, April 16.

The event will begin with a silent auction and reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. It will raise funds to support the University’s renovation of Ben Brady Field, the on-campus artificial turf field that serves the more than 200 student athletes in Shorter’s soccer, lacrosse and football programs.

General admission tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.shorter.edu/turf. Sponsorships are also available.

“We’re excited that Kevin Cooke will be sharing his story of becoming part of the Shorter University family,” said Shorter University President Dr. Don Dowless. “Kevin started out volunteering as a coach for our men’s soccer team and is now our Associate Athletic Director. Despite the busyness of his personal and political life, he chose to join us because he wanted to be part of the work God is doing to change young lives through the Shorter University Athletic Program and through the University’s mission of Transforming Lives through Christ.”

Cooke is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District and has served nine years representing Georgia’s District 18 in the State House. He and his wife Crystal have been married for 13 years and have two daughters, Ella and Sadie. A 1998 graduate of Carrollton High School, he attended the University of West Georgia before finishing his degree in Sport Studies, with a business emphasis at the University of Georgia. Cooke and his family attend Roopville Road Baptist Church.

In addition to his role as Associate Athletic Director at Shorter, he is a farmer and small businessman. At the state level, he currently serves on the committees for Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Appropriations, Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment, Public Safety and Homeland Security, Regulated Industries, State Planning and Community Affairs, and Interstate Cooperation.

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christ-centered, four-year liberal arts university committed to excellence in education. The Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its list of best Southeastern Colleges. The University offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 40 areas of study, online courses and degree programs, undergraduate programs for working adults, associate’s and master’s programs.