As this exciting and very promising football season draws near, we would like to share with all of our members, students, parents and fans some helpful information about our tailgate.
Our tailgate is designed to be a 'Taste of Home'. We are aware of the tremendous growth of our tailgate. We had over 500 attend the LSU tailgate in 2023, and over 1,500 total visitors came to cheer on the Tide last year. While we are extremely happy to have this level of interest, we were not financially prepared for such growth. Our treasury cannot support a tailgate of this size with income from dues alone.
For context, our previous white tent supplier is no longer in business, which has led to an increased cost in our tent infrastructure. Catering expenses last season exceeded $2,000 per tailgate. Overall, the cost of the tailgate last season was over $20,000 which, of course, doesn't cover the cost of those who kindly donated food, beverages, ice, and other necessary items. That figure only covers the cost incurred by the chapter.
In order to address these costs, we will be fundraising directly for the tailgate. So far, we have already secured over $3,500 thanks to contributions from our members and our board. We are also seeking sponsors for the tailgate and for our social media. If you or your business is interested in sponsoring, please email us at bamacincinnati@gmail.com. We will be looking to raise $10,000 for the tailgate this year between private donations and sponsorships in order to keep this event going in its current form. More information about sponsorship: https://www.crimsonati.org/sponsors. We will also be providing a larger TV for watching games.
In addition, we have worked tirelessly over the off-season to come up with sustainability and operational changes. Moving forward, all tailgates will follow the guidelines provided below:
This event is a benefit of membership to CrimsonAti. Current membership for the 2024-2025 year is required. If you're not a member or need to renew, you can do so at the tailgate or online here: https://JoinOct-Dec2024.eventbrite.com.
Each person must register for a free tailgating ticket on Eventbrite. Eventbrite tailgate events will be posted two to four weeks prior to a game. Students are always welcome but are heavily encouraged to get a free ticket (RSVP) to give us a handle on how many to expect. Seating for each game will vary based on opponent and expected attendance. Understand, ALL members are welcome and will never be turned away, but our seating and infrastructure can only go so far.
This event is BYOB and we appreciate everyone who helps pitch in to our carry in tailgate. Bring food and drinks to share from back home with other Tide fans. Great food items to bring include catering style sandwiches, sliders, side dishes, and your favorite tailgating food! We will provide some yellow hammers, bottled water and our famous Skyline/goetta dip. We have a larger TV setup for watching this and other games. Corn hole will be available.
Some catering from Ajian Sushi is kindly provided by Pete Zimmer. If anyone would like to volunteer to be a guest chef, let us know ahead of time at 937.205.7916. If you are interested in sponsoring a tailgate to advertise your business (or you just love us that much), please email us at bamacincinnati@gmail.com or call 702.672.9294. Make sure you join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crimsonatiatthegame/.
Conclusion:
We ask that all of our members, alumni, students, parents and fans be patient with us as we are doing the best we can and our events evolve in 2024. It's important for more people to get involved with CrimsonAti and we are always looking for volunteers at the watch parties and tailgates. Attend our chapter meetings. Serve our community. Come join us and Thank YOU all for your support of CrimsonAti. Roll Tide!
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