More than 100 Auburn fans gathered at the Coplin Building in Demopolis Tuesday evening to hear former AU athletic director David Housel. The event was the first of its kind for the Marengo County Auburn Club in more than five years.

“The Auburn spirit is alive and well in Marengo County,” club president Sean Parker said. “We were expecting about 50 people. We had well over 100 people.”

The event is the first of two scheduled this year for the club, which works to raise money for a scholarship to be awarded to a Marengo County student who will attend Auburn University.

“Our scholarship fund is probably there,” Parker, who initially thought the club may struggle to meet the $1,000 minimum required to present a scholarship. “We did so well at this event. We are well on our way to donating the money we would like to donate.”

“It’s the best crowd we’ve had since I’ve been here,” club vice president Jason Windham said. “We had people from Selma to Greensboro to Livingston to Thomasville. People from all over our area showed up. It was an excellent turnout.”

Housel, a west Alabama native, regaled the crowd with tales of his time spent on The Plains as well as anecdotes from his days in nearby Gordo.

“David Housel had a rousing speech about his times at Auburn and Gordo,” Parker said. “He had a great anecdote about how Linden watered the field when they got ready to play Gordo.”

While the event was a marked success, Parker hopes it is only the beginning for the club, which is intent on hosting a guest speaker each year. The club will also be taking a charter bus to Starkville, Miss. this fall for the Thursday night football game between Auburn and Mississippi State that is set to be broadcast on ESPN. Proceeds from that event will also go toward the Marengo County Auburn Club Scholarship Fund.