First Alumni Tailgate Scheduled for Friday Before Southwest Football Game
October 3, 2017
Notre Dame will host Tritons All Around the World, its first alumni tailgate, on Friday, October 6, prior to the football game against traditional rival Southwest.
All alumni of Notre Dame Academy, Premontre, Abbot Pennings, St. Joseph Academy, Central Catholic and St. Norbert High are invited to the event. Postcards with the information were sent out to alumni in the state, and alumni out of the state could find information on the Notre Dame website.
The tailgate will begin at 5 p.m. on top of the hill near Ted Fritsch Field. Food will be served by a Notre Dame family’s catering service, Dos Chiles.
Jim Campbell, a Notre Dame parent and Abbot Pennings alum, will be playing music throughout the event.
Notre Dame’s Director of Events and Alumni Relations, Mr. Geno McKenna, helped organize the event. Recently Notre Dame has begun to try to build up the alumni program, so alumni can feel like they are still part of the Notre Dame community.
“We want to make it feel like this is their home,” said McKenna.
McKenna decided to go with a tailgate because it would be something fun that would still bring the alumni together. He hopes to keep the alumni program growing and improve it as time goes on.
McKenna has noticed that some alumni were starting to get connected to Notre Dame again because of their children. Many students at Notre Dame have parents who were alumni of Notre Dame and its predecessor schools.
“Now is the time,” said McKenna. “The hope is that people will feel like, even though they haven’t gone to school here at this very building, that this is their school.”
After the tailgate, alumni are encouraged to join Notre Dame at the NDA vs Southwest football game at Ted Fritsch Field. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
During halftime of the game, a seat will be dedicated to Coach Nowak.
State championship team anniversaries will also be recognized at this time. After the game, alumni can attend a post-game celebration at 1951 West.
“We want people in Green Bay to feel like they are a part of the community, and they are a part of us,” said McKenna.
