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July 11, 2024
Sherry Dillihay
By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
 
An Alabama State University alumna who has earned two degrees from the University has been named the grand marshal of the second annual Port City Classic (Classic) Parade that takes place on Nov. 2, at 10 a.m. in downtown Mobile, Alabama. The game between ASU and Alcorn State University will kick off at 4 p.m. later that day at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game is managed by the Mobile Sports Authority, which describes it as the ultimate "party with a purpose," combining entertainment, education, and the celebration of African American culture and heritage. 
 
Alumna Sherry Dillihay-McDade (ASU 1985) is the parade's grand marshal. She earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in education from ASU; attending the University on a track and field scholarship. Acclaimed as an outstanding athlete, she was the first female in NCAA history to be awarded a baseball scholarship in what had once been an all-male collegiate program.
 
Dillihay-McDade is well known within the Mobile community. She serves on the Mobile County Board of School Commissioners, having recently been elected to represent its District 4 seat, which includes downtown Mobile,  Toulminville, Maysville, Midtown and Dauphin Island Parkway.
 
The 1976 graduate of Toulminville High School was a veteran educator in the Mobile County Public School System. Before her retirement, she taught physical education at Mobile's Booker T. Washington Middle School and coached basketball, girls track and volleyball. Earlier, she was also a teacher and a coach at LeFlore High School where she served as athletic director. 
Mardis Gras began in the United States in Mobile in the early 19th century and Dillihay-McDade is no stranger to the event. She is highly involved in its celebration in the Port City, serving as the president of the Mobile Big Monday Mardi Gras Association. 
An active Christain, Dillihay-McDade attends Saint Matthews Catholic Church and has two children, Adam and Evyn McDade.
 
For more info on the Port City Classic: https://www.mobileportcityclassic.com/