FORT MYERS, Fla. (Aug. 4, 2015) – Shoeless Joe’s Sports Café at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 13051 Bell Tower Drive in Fort Myers, was named the official home of the Ohio State University Alumni Club of Southwest Florida, where the Southwest Florida Buckeyes will host a kick-off party on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. to celebrate the start of college football season.

“We are excited to welcome the Southwest Florida Ohio State Alumni Club to Shoeless Joe’s Sports Café for this year’s college sports season and have some fun events planned for this fall,” said Jim Larkin, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Bell Tower Shops.

The Ohio State University Alumni Club of Southwest Florida is one of more than 200 official alumni clubs throughout the world. With more than 1,000 Buckeyes currently living in Southwest Florida, the local club’s goal is to bring together Buckeyes living in, as well as visiting, Southwest Florida through community service projects, its annual meeting and weekly football game watch parties. The club raises money for its scholarship fund to benefit local high-school students who wish to attend Ohio State, while its members also inform prospective OSU students of the opportunities that the university offers through local college fairs at area high schools.

All members of the Ohio State Alumni Club of Southwest Florida have the opportunity to expand personal and professional contacts, connect with the local network of graduates, former students and supporters of Ohio State University, participate in club sponsored events, and interact with and make a positive impact on Ohio State. The only requirement is that members support Ohio State University.

For more information about the Ohio State Alumni Club of Southwest Florida and its upcoming events at Shoeless Joe’s, visit www.alumnigroups.osu.edu/swfl/.

Named after Chicago White Sox Player Joe Jackson, Shoeless Joe’s Sports Café is a local sports bar in Fort Myers with nearly 40 big-screen, high-definition TVs, a private party space, causal dining favorites and daily entertainment, including poker night on Mondays, trivia night on Tuesdays, live music on Thursdays and Fridays, and karaoke night on Saturdays.

For more information about Shoeless Joe’s or to view the restaurant’s full menu, visit www.shoeless-joes.com.