Pigskins in the Park - October 16th

RENASANT BANK AND CELLULAR SOUTH TO PRESENT
“PIGSKINS IN THE PARK” BENEFIT FOR DOWNTOWN TUPELO MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION

Two SEC College Football Games Featuring Ole Miss and Mississippi State Will Be Broadcast Live
On a Giant NFL-Caliber Giant Jumbotron In Front of Tupelo City Hall In Fairpark On Oct. 16

TUPELO, MISS. (September 2, 2010) – Pigskins in the Park, a promotional event featuring a live broadcast of major SEC games on a NFL-caliber giant jumbotron where Mississippi teams play on the road in two of the most hostile environments in college football, is set to kick off on Saturday, Oct. 16 in front of Tupelo City Hall in Fairpark.

The live broadcast of the Ole Miss Rebels road game in Tuscaloosa, Ala. against the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Mississippi State Bulldogs trip to Gainesville, Fl. to play the Florida Gators is sponsored by Renasant Bank and Cellular South in partnership with the Tupelo Quality of Life Committee.

The games will be shown on a giant 22 foot by 33 foot jumbotron, which is elevated 16feet from the ground bringing the total height to more than six stories with high-resolution images for both daylight and night time viewing. Both football games are “road” games for each Mississippi school. Start times of each game will be announced two weeks before Pigskins in the Park. Tupelo’s largest tailgate party is free and open to the public.

“Renasant Bank is excited to be part of this unique event for Downtown Tupelo,” said John Oxford, director of external affairs for Renasant Bank. “We know how passionate folks in North Mississippi are about SEC Football and their schools. Bringing people together to cheer and support their teams while enjoying this quality of life event on a cool Saturday in October is just another way Renasant participates in the communities we serve,” he added. “So whether you’re screaming Hotty Toddy or ringing your cow bell in Fairpark, we are proud to help provide North Mississippi with this wonderful event.”

All proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association. “Our mission is to sustain and enhance the downtown experience. Pigskins in the Park is a perfect way to do just that. We appreciate our corporate sponsors Renasant Bank and Cellular South for combining their talents and resources for the community,” said Debbie Brangenberg, director of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association.

Also taking part in the event will be various downtown Tupelo food vendors and businesses. Food and beverages will be available for purchase by patrons during the games. No alcoholic beverages other than those sold on site will be allowed at the event. Beer will be available to patrons of 21-years of age or older. Patrons are allowed to bring lawn chairs, tents and tailgating items, but personal grills and coolers are discouraged.

“Cellular South is pleased to be a part of the first Pigskins in the Park event as part of our commitment to the communities we serve,” said Mark Prince, business development manager for Cellular South. “We invite everyone to attend the event and enjoy the games,” he added, noting that Cellular South also is sponsoring two major original programs this fall focusing on high school football and music.

The first - Y’all vs. Us - is an original sports program that captures the drama, passion and community pride around high school football rivalries in the South. Now in its second season, the program features live, primetime telecasts on FOX Sports South of five of the oldest and biggest high school football rivalries in Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. Select game broadcasts are reaching up to 12.9 million cable and satellite households in seven Southeastern states. One of the regionally- televised rivalry games featured in the program will be the South Panola Tigers at the Tupelo High Wave on Oct. 15 in Tupelo.

The second - Cellular South Emerge: mobilize your music - is a ground-breaking original program designed to give music fans a new way to discover and share original music from some of the best rising artists. The program features a state-of-the-art website where promising artists can boost their visibility, promote live performances and develop a broader network of fans by sharing some of the hottest new music available on the market today. Prince said an Emerge guest artist The Grove is scheduled to perform at the “Down on Main” concert on Sept. 9.

About Renansant:
Renasant Corporation, headquartered in Tupelo, MS, is the parent of Renasant Bank and Renasant Insurance, and operates over 75 banking, mortgage, financial services and insurance offices in Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. The company has assets of approximately $4.6 billion. For more information, visit www.renasantbank.com.

About Cellular South:
Cellular South is a privately-owned diversified mobile communications company passionately committed to helping customers get the most out of their wireless devices and services. The nation’s largest privately owned wireless communications carrier accomplishes this goal by providing the most reliable and advanced 3G nationwide wireless voice and data network, offering industry-leading smartphone devices and accessible flat rate plans, and through its online and in-store Discover Centers, which give customers easy, simple and convenient tools, tips, advice and information to get the most out of their mobile phone. For more information, visit www.cellularsouth.com.