BucFanz Tailgate for Booty
By Jim Carnrike

11/08

Hey Tailgaters! What started very innocently as a suggestion over a few beers and some fantastic BBQ has turned into an annual holiday tradition for our group, the BucFanz Tailgate Krewe.

It all began several years ago...The US Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation (toysfortots.org) accepts new toy donations each year at one of the Bucs games close to the holidays. (I think most if not all NFL teams participate in a similar fashion.)

We have always brought a couple toys each year - for the cause - until this one year. One of our Krewe members said, "Hey, next year, I'm gonna save my change and maybe buy a new bike to donate." We all agreed it was a great idea and toasted the concept! (We toast a lot of things at our tailgates.)

So, the following season, with that in mind, we began the tradition. I think within our small group we donated 12 new bikes and helmets. We doubled the total in year two. Year three we came up with 30 bikes and helmets, years four and five the total was 36 or so. Year six we collected 47, and last year - at our 7th annual event - we were able to give over 60 brand new bikes and helmets to the charity!

Everyone seems to chip in something, whether it's one guy that collects new helmets from his co-workers or another that collects cash from his co-workers to buy a couple more bikes. Someone else provides his pick-up truck and a trailer to haul all our booty to the stadium. What a great sight it is to see all of those bikes being added to the mound of brand new toys, and the Marines helping us to help them.

None of us do this for praise or acclaim, and you probably would never have known about any of this if we weren't contacted by Tailgater Monthly and asked to share our story. Given this year's economic "atmosphere" we may not eclipse last year's mark. But like one of our favorite players, Mr. Derrick Brooks, says - "We do what we do". We certainly do, Derrick, we certainly do.

All of us with the Bucfanz Tailgate Krewe and Buccaneers fans everywhere wish you and yours the warmest and safest of Holiday Seasons.

May your coals be hot and your grog be cold!

Touchdown Tampa Bay!