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Packers.com 'Tailgate Tour' Blog
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| Bubba Franks |
| Bubba Franks fishes from a pier with a new friend at the Wisconsin Lions Club. |
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Photos: Send Off
Milwaukee | Madison | La Crosse | Wausau
***
Friday, July 14; 9:40 p.m.
Day 4 and the Tailgate Tour concludes...After enjoying nearly 1,000 miles of the state of Wisconsin and visiting with hundreds and hundreds of Packers fans, the first-ever Green Bay Packers Tailgate Tour concluded after the bus pulled in to Lambeau Field's parking lot Friday night.
The four-day, four-city tour began Tuesday in Milwaukee and finished in Wausau Friday night. Points in between included Madison, Stoughton, La Crosse, Stevens Point, Rosholt, Marshfield and Weston.
The members of the tour, Bob Harlan, Rob Davis, Donald Driver and Bubba Franks, were tired, but very pleased with the tour's reach and impact.
"I couldn't be happier with how things went," said Harlan. "Everywhere we went, the fans were outstanding. They were very, very appreciative of us coming out to say hello, and I kept telling them that we came out to say thanks for support. It was a great opportunity to get out to some parts of the state that we normally don't see and visit with fans.
"I particularly enjoyed our impromptu visits, that's for sure. To see looks on people's faces when we pulled up was fun. The kids had a great time with the players.
"The fans were supportive of the team and looking forward to the season, too."
For the players, the trip was certainly a confirmation of something they already knew, that Wisconsin is supportive of their pro football team.
"The enthusiasm of our fans is as strong in La Crosse as in Green Bay," said Davis. "I knew that, but to see it in person, it was awesome. We're fortunate to have such great support."
Driver, with his famous radiant smile, was a popular member of the tour at every stop.
"I loved it," he said. "To be able to see all the fans has been great, but it also was humbling to see the children in hospitals and the older people in the nursing home. Their spirit is always uplifting to me. And I also have to give a lot of credit to the people who work in those places. They are the people that need to be applauded. The work they do is huge."
Franks, a willing but initially tentative member of the tour, particularly enjoyed the energy of the fans during the trip.
"When Cathy (Dworak, the Packers' manager of community relations and coordinator of the tour) approached me, I was in for sure," said the Pro Bowl tight end. "But I just wasn't sure what the turnout would be wherever we went. That was put to rest right away. At all our stops, there were a lot of very excited fans. It was amazing.
"I'm glad I did it, that's for sure. Now I'm totally charged for the season. I'm ready to play this week!"
******************************
Friday, July 14; 7:52 p.m.
The tour just completed the final tailgate party of the trip at Dale's Weston Lanes, just outside Wausau, where nearly 600 Packers fans turned out to visit with the team and support the Woodson YMCA's youth sports programs (http://www.woodsonymca.com).
Fans enjoyed posing for pictures and receiving autographs from the players. They also were treated to a particularly entertaining question-and-answer session with the players who took positions on the stage at microphone locations set for the band, giving them the appearance of some sort of Packers musical entertainment act. Franks referred to Driver as the lead singer and to himself and Davis as backups and even hummed some vocals to the delight of the crowd.
When asked about what advice should be given to youngsters who want to grow up and become football players, Davis responded with a realistic recommendation that was met with appreciation from the crowd.
"Concentrate on the education part, first," he implored. "There are only a couple thousand of these jobs, so you need to be realistic. You can still have fun and certainly strive for such things, but you need to be prepared for things other than football."
Tom Jackson, the Woodson YMCA's executive director, was appreciative of the Packers and the support of the fans.
"This was great for the community and great for the Packers," he said. "It ties in so well with our organization's values and how we try to be role models. All the people working here tonight are volunteering and many are the same people who volunteer with our staff. We're about family values and I know the Packers are too."
Included among the fans were Maryann and Linc Christianson and their two sons, Kevin and Jacob. The family from Toledo, Ohio, also members of Packers Partners, the team's fan club, was in the area for a family wedding and took advantage of the tailgate party to get a Green and Gold fix.
"When we saw on packers.com that they were going to be here, we said, 'we gotta go,' " said Maryann. "It's great that they're here and spending time with the different communities."
******************************
Friday, July 14; 2:15 p.m.
The tour just completed a visit to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Marshfield (www.ministryhealth.org/display/router.aspx?DocID=13560). The tour members visited with nearly 100 patients during the two-hour stay in areas that included the neonatal intensive care unit, the pediatric intensive care unit and the pediatric unit.
During the visit, the players met surely one of the smallest Packers fans they've ever encountered in Deliny Kloos, a 2-pound girl who was born two months prematurely but doing well.
"This is a lot of fun," said Scott Kloos, Deliny's father, as the players held the tiny girl in their hands. "There are a lot of people who are benefiting from this visit. It's amazing they would stop here."
"The visit to the hospital boosts morale for the patients and their families," said Marilee Bell, an advance practice nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit. "The staff enjoyed it, too."
The group also visited Kimberly Standiford, a Packers fan from Dallas who is hospitalized with some pregnancy complications. Standiford, her husband, Scott, and their two kids were in the area for Scott's class reunion in nearby Greenwood when she needed to be checked in for monitoring. She'll be staying for a while longer to ensure the pregnancy's well-being and was understandably lifted by the visit.
"I'm a big fan from Dallas, so this is awesome," she said.
******************************
Friday, July 14; 11:14 a.m.
The tour bus just departed the Wisconsin Lion's Camp (www.lionspride.org/camp.htm), a 440-acre site near Rosholt that includes a 45-acre lake. The summer camp provides week-long experiences for children with disabilities such as blindness, deaf or hard of hearing, mild cognitively disabled and diabetes. The camp is free to Wisconsin residents who qualify. This week's 156 campers had mild cognitive disabilities such as autism and downs syndrome.
The campers gave the players a resounding greeting when they entered the camp's dining hall. After some brief introductions, the campers split into smaller groups and headed off to different areas of the camp to perform activities with the players, including fishing, archery, a visit to the nature center, crafts, games and music.
Bubba Franks, who during the Tailgate Tour's announcement in June indicated a desire to find a fishing spot, finally got his opportunity to land a lunker. Although no one from the tour group stayed with Franks long enough to witness any success, the tight end claims he did catch a fish.
"I did catch one right after you left...I swear," pleaded Franks.
After consultation with the campers, it was determined that he did indeed land a decent-sized panfish. (Blogger's note: Packers.com regrets not being present to chronicle the feat. We do believe him.)
Driver and Davis tried their skills at archery and managed to hit the target a few times close to the bulls-eye and then were treated to an original song composed just for the tour by the camp's music class.
"Today's visit by the Packers gave 156 campers the thrill of a lifetime," said Andrea Yenter, the camp director and camp alum who first spent a week as a camper in 1987. "When they entered the dining hall, the boys were jumping and the girls were crying. The staff, many of whom were campers themselves previously, got pretty excited, too. The main thing is that my kids were happy.
"They saw that these players were down to earth. They let the kids hug them...I had to peel one off Rob Davis."
Camper Ahron Henderson, 17, of De Forest, used his conversation with Harlan and the players to try and score a tryout for the team.
"I'm pretty big and can play right tackle," he proudly said. "I told them I wanted to join the team."
Earlier this morning before departing the Holiday Inn, the tour got a chance to check out local resident Harvey Olson's "Packermobile."
******************************
Thursday, July 13; 10:38 p.m.
Day 3 concludes...The Green Bay Packers Tailgate Tour bus arrived at its overnight destination, the Holiday Inn Stevens Point. Another day of thanks to the fans concludes.
"That was great day," Packers Chairman/CEO Bob Harlan said. "The people of La Crosse were wonderful. We definitely have a lot of great fans here on the border with Minnesota. The area is beautiful, too, on the banks of the Mississippi."
The tour's third tailgate party was a rousing success. The crowd gathered at the Oktoberfest Grounds (www.oktoberfestusa.com), 600 strong, were vocal and supportive from the start as they cheered when the bus arrived and cheered as the bus departed.
The question and answer segment of the program produced many laughs for both the fans and the players, with Rob Davis providing a great tongue-in-cheek answer to a young fan who asked which players he should consider for his fantasy football team.
"Page 12, Section C, Paragraph 2 of the NFL Player Policy Manual states that players are prohibited from consorting with known gamblers," Davis deadpanned, before breaking into a huge smile as the crowd laughed enthusiastically.
"This is a great event," La Crosse Mayor Mark Johnsrud said. "We're Green and Gold in La Crosse and the people here are strong supporters of the team. This is nice opportunity for the community to come out and see the players and help out a great cause like Junior Achievement."
Gene Schlensner and his son, Mitchel, of Eau Claire added the tailgate party to their impressive list of Packers events which includes trips to Green Bay for a number of games, Fan Fest, the Draft Party and Family Night.
"We had to get our dose," Schlensner said. "This is great the team is over here in this part of the state."
"We couldn't be more pleased. This is huge," said Lori Dubczak of Junior Achievement (www.ja.org), the organization that partners with business and educators to use hands-on experiences to help young people understand the economics of life. "The Packers supporting this event gives great credibility to the organization. The fans are thrilled the team made the effort to get to La Crosse."
Overall, the spirit of the evening left an excited impression on the tour members.
"Man, that group was great," Bubba Franks said. "We've got two weeks before training camp starts and I'm ready to play now. They really got me fired up."
******************************
Thursday, July 13; 5:13 p.m.
In what has become a daily event, the group makes an ice cream stop at a La Crosse landmark, The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor.
"I like this ice cream thing," Franks said as he dove into his sundae.
******************************
Thursday, July 13; 4:35 p.m.
The tour makes a stop at Glory Years, a memorabilia-filled tavern in La Crosse that boasts the largest collection of Packers artifacts west of the Packers Hall of Fame.
Members of the groups signed the famous wall that displays signatures of other notable visitors.
The visit came after an enjoyable and relaxing lunch on the Mississippi River. Before boarding the boat the tour said hello to a group of day-care kids in the riverside park.
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Thursday, July 13; 12:02 p.m.
Bethany St. Joseph Care Center in La Crosse was the site of a mid-morning tour stop. Harlan and the players played a game of bingo and visited with more than 100 residents of the elderly care facility.
"The visit is so valuable," said Tom Rand, the executive director of the facility. "It provides real-life experiences for these residents who don't really get out much. It has created some great memories that they'll be talking about right through the football season. It has a positive and uplifting impact."
Before stopping at Bethany St. Joseph, the group made a quick stop to say hello to the staff at Ray Hutson Chevrolet. The dealership's owner, Mike Hutson, is the nephew of one of the all time Packers greats, Don Hutson.
******************************
Thursday, July 13; 10:52 a.m.
The tour just completed a stop at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital (www.gundluth.org), where they visited with patients in several areas, with a focus on the pediatric cancer patients.
The players made hand-print posters with the kids, as well as posed for pictures and signed autographs.
"We play a tough game, but you all are fighting the real battle," Davis said to the youngsters. "Keep fighting. We're with you on that."
"It's a huge treat for these kids," said Susan Block, a nurse practitioner in the department. "The staff and the kids are Packers fans. The big thing to treating kids with cancer is to let them be kids first, and this certainly provides that opportunity."
"It's not every day you get to meet stars," said Brad Muller, whose son Cody, 3, is at the hospital for treatment. "These kids are stars in their own way the way they are fighting, but this is a special day for them."
On the way out, the group posed for a picture at the Norma J. Vinger Center for Breast Cancer, a recipient of funds from last season's very successful Packers Pink Breast Cancer Cap campaign.
******************************
Wednesday, July 12; 10:27 p.m.
Day 2 concludes...The tour bus arrived in La Crosse at our second-night accommodations, the Radisson Hotel on the banks of the Mississippi River. Another successful outing, the day saw the group visit with hundreds of fans, young and old, from Waukesha to Madison to Stoughton.
The tour continued to deliver its message of thanks to the fans for their unyielding support of the Green and Gold.
"I've really noticed that the parents have appreciated the visits," observed Bob Harlan, the Packers' Chairman and CEO. "Certainly the kids are thrilled, but I've had many parents and adults say thanks for doing this. They're very touched by it. They also ask about why we're out doing this, and the players and I continue to say that we're just saying thanks."
Bubba Franks continues to be impressed with what he's seen so far of the Dairy State.
"Wisconsin has so much to offer," Franks said. "I'm a little upset with myself that I haven't really gotten out of Green Bay more. It's a beautiful place and the people are wonderful."
Earlier this evening, the tour's second tailgate party was at Mandt Park in Stoughton, where more than 300 fans came out to see the team and help benefit Wisconsin Special Olympics (www.specialolympicswisconsin.org/), and organizations that provides sports training and competition for nearly 10,000 athletes with cognitive disabilities in 18 different sports year-round.
Among the fans supporting the event was Packers shareholder Lori Ann Curley of nearby Sun Prairie. She and her husband are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary this weekend and enjoyed seeing Harlan and the players as part of their fun. For Curley, though, the tailgate party was just sample of future anniversaries.
"We're coming to Lambeau for our silver anniversary," she said.
Wisconsin Special Olympics president Dennis Alldridge was pleased with the evening.
"Stoughton and the surrounding communities here in the Madison area are very supportive of Special Olympics and the Packers," he said. "I told Bob Harlan that if he comes back next year we'll have 600 fans come out. This is great."
******************************
Wednesday, July 12; 4:42 p.m.
The tailgate tour just finished a visit to Madison's Goodman Pool, where hundreds of people were soaking in both the sun and some water during a beautiful day.
In what has become a common theme, disbelief and surprise marked the bus' arrival.
"I saw the bus and I'm thinking, 'What the heck?' said pool manager Des Weatherford. "I was shocked. This is a great thing. These kids and their families are just thrilled. The community here could use something like this. This is excellent the team supports the community like this."
The players, surely tempted to cool off in the inviting waters, stayed just outside the entrance to the pool and signed autographs and posed for pictures.
Among the fans were Madison's Eric Gunderyon and his two sons, Cyrus and Griffin.
"We walked out there's the bus," said Eric. "All these people are sure getting a kick out of this."
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Wednesday, July 12; 4:15 p.m.
The tour just finished taking in a supreme treat: a visit to the Wisconsin Union (www.union.wisc.edu/) which included some delicious Babcock Hall ice cream and a brief moment of relaxation on the famous Union Terrace.
"Man, that ice cream is good," Harlan said. "That hit the spot."
"This terrace is awesome," Rob Davis observed. "I don't know how anyone gets any studying done around here."
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Wednesday, July 12; 3:43 p.m.
After taking in a bit of Marquette's athletic facilities on Tuesday, the tour decided to pay a visit to some of the Badgers' homes today (www.uwbadgers.com/). First was a impromptu stop at the Kohl Center where the players visited with some members of the men's and women's basketball teams and then looked in on a basketball camp for 10- and 11-year-olds run by men's coach Bo Ryan and his players and staff.
"This was great of the Packers," Ryan said. "These kids just got a fun treat."
"I'm really enjoying stopping at these kids' camps," Harlan said. "They seem to get a great kick out of it."
The tour also made a brief stop at Camp Randall Stadium, the home of the Badger football team. Davis, a college player at smaller-than-a-Big Ten-school Shippensburg, continually commented on the impressive facilities.
"This is a big-time athletic program," he repeated several times. "Wow."
******************************
Wednesday, July 12; 2:30 p.m.
After a satisfying lunch at the Angelic Brewing Company, the group walked a couple blocks up iconic State Street and paid a visit to Wisconsin's majestic Capitol building (www.wisconsin.gov/state/capfacts/tour_select.html). The players were impressed with the rotunda and beautiful dome as they joined many other tourists in looking high up at the sight.
A chance meeting with Rep. Phil Montgomery earned the group a brief tour of the building as the Green Bay-area state legislator led the members to the assembly hall where they ran into Rep. John Gard, also a Green Bay-area legislator.
A subsequent visit to the governor's conference room with its ornate décor was memorable for Franks.
"The use of gold in the painting throughout the room was pretty impressive," he said.
Driver was happy the tour made a stop at the state's house of government.
"I've been down here before, but never stopped in the building," he said. "That's very impressive. I have never been in a state capitol building until now. It's something that everyone should do, that's for sure."
******************************
Wednesday, July 12; 11:35 a.m.
On the road again...this morning the tour made an impromptu visit to the Green Bay Packers youth football camp at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha, where 150 campers were surprised with the appearance.
The players participated for about 45 minutes and offered some tips on football fundamentals and signed a few autographs.
Keith Vanden Heuvel, head football coach at Lawrence University and coordinator of the youth football camp, appreciated the stop.
"You just made these kids' week," he said.
On the way out the group stopped by a few classrooms inside the school and the players talked with some of the students and teachers and posed for pictures and autographs.
Amy Riedl-Jones, a Green Bay native and now a teacher at the school, couldn't believe the team was there.
"I saw the bus and said, 'That can't be for real.' "
******************************
Tuesday, July 11; 8:05 p.m.
The bus arrived at our downtown Milwaukee accommodations, the Pfister Hotel. The Pfister, a beautiful and elegant landmark, was the most recent "home away from home" for the Packers while playing in Milwaukee. Day one is complete. It was a successful start to the tour.
The day culminated with the tour's first tailgate party at Bradley Tech High School (www2.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/tech/welcome.htm) in Milwaukee's central city. About 200 fans attended the event and enjoyed taking pictures, visiting with and receiving autographs from the players. Proceeds from the event will go toward the new athletic field and park.
Wayne Larrivee, the voice of the Packers on WTMJ Radio, emceed the program which featured Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and tailgate party organizer Jack MacDonough, a member of the Packers' Board of Directors and current chairman of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School Commission. Harlan and each of the players addressed the fans in attendance.
The new school was completed in 2003 on the athletic fields of the old school, which is in the process of being demolished. Once it's gone, the new football field will be built on the site of the former high school building. In addition to Bradley Tech, the nearby Vieau K-8 Public School will use the field, as will 45 students enrolled in Project Excel Day Treatment Program across the street from Bradley. During weekends and evenings, the sports area will double as an urban park for the largely Hispanic community in surrounding neighborhoods.
The school in 2003 received a $100,000 grant from the National Football League's Grassroots program for construction of the athletic field, which is slated to be ready for 2007.
"It was great to see the Packers here at Bradley Tech," said Barrett. "This school is a success story and the Packers and the NFL have been a great supporter. They're an asset to the community and the state."
Since moving into the new building, the school's graduation rate has increased from 50 percent to 86 percent, according to MacDonough. More than 80 percent of the graduates go on to jobs, apprenticeships, or to two- and four-year schools.
"It was a great day," said Harlan. "We enjoyed getting out and seeing the fans."
******************************
Tuesday, July 11; 4:03 p.m.
The tour just finished a visit to Marquette University's Al McGuire Center (www.marquette.edu/about/campus/al.shtml) and a drop-in on a volleyball camp headed up by Golden Eagle women's coach Pati Rolf and some members of her team. Rolf asked Harlan, a Marquette grad and former sports information director at the university, to address the campers and the Packers' CEO happily obliged by thanking the young volleyball players for allowing the interruption. He expressed his gratitude to the young Packers fans for their support and that of their parents and grandparents.
Driver, Franks and Davis engaged the players in a quick game, with Driver displaying a fair amount of restraint in not fully utilizing his considerable vertical leap to spike on the young campers.
Harlan also had the opportunity to take a brief tour of the new facility, to which the proud alum made a donation for its construction. Included in the tour was a brief visit with men's basketball coach Tom Crean. On the way out, Harlan had a chance to see his name on the Al McGuire statue in the lobby of "The Al."
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Tuesday, July 11; 2:30 p.m.
The tour stopped at The Chancery Family Pub in Wauwatosa for lunch after departing Children's Hospital. The tour bus' presence in the city's downtown area drew a few fans, one man pulling over after seeing the bus make a stop. He was a long-time season ticket holder who said thanks to Harlan for making the trip. Dave Goyette and his son, Nick, also stopped to say hello and get an autograph from Bubba Franks.
The tour then made an impromptu stop at Pius XI High School (www.piusxi.org) and mingled with girls participating in a basketball camp.
For the school's president and principal, Dr. Melinda Skrade, seeing the bus at first was confusing.
"I saw the bus and wasn't sure what it was," said Skrade. "Then I saw the players getting off and I said, 'Those are actually Packers players.' It's the best Tuesday afternoon surprise we've had in a long time. What a great treat, for these guys to come and visit with our camp."
Scott Herrick, Pius' girl's basketball coach and athletic director, was a bit surprised at the men interrupting his camp for 14- to 16-year olds. The look on his face as the tour entered the field house was one of mild irritation at first. After all, he was trying to have the young ladies focus on their drills.
"I was thinking, 'Who are these three guys that went to Southridge Mall and bought jerseys and are coming into my camp?' said Herrick. "Then I realized who they were. This is great...what a surprise for the girls. They appreciate it."
******************************
Tuesday, July 11; 12:40 p.m.
The tour just finished a visit at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin (www.chw.org). The tour members visited with about 50 children in a gathering area for over an hour. Activities included painting ceiling tiles, creating cheeseheads, signing autographs and taking pictures. The tour then paid a visit to a number of patients in their rooms who were not able to make it to the activity area.
"Having these guys visit brings some sunshine to their lives," said Jo Camarata, manager of family services for Children's Hospital. "It will definitely be something to remember. They'll be able to tell their friends and show their pictures. It really is amazing what a visit does for the kids. The whole day is a positive for them, and their parents. We really appreciate it."
Caroline Kennedy and her son, Vijay, 4, of Gladstone, Mich., enjoyed seeing the players.
"Vijay, I think, was a little overwhelmed with the size of the players," Caroline said. "He really enjoyed it, though. It definitely cheers up the kids for a long time and gives them something to do."
"It's quite an experience visiting with these kids," said Franks. "They're going through so much here at the hospital, but they've got great spirits. It really
"I enjoyed the visit," added Harlan. "It was nice to talk to the parents, too. They're going through so much with their kids. I can only imagine what it must be like. We're glad to have spent some time with them. I think they enjoyed it."
******************************
Tuesday, July 11; 8:07 a.m.
The Green Bay Packers Tailgate Tour pulled out of Lambeau Field to start a four-day, four-city journey to say thanks to Packers fans in Wisconsin. The bus is decorated with a custom wrap that includes the Packers 'G' logo and the phrases "Green Bay Packers Tailgate Tour" and "Touching Down in Your Community." (See pictures)
On the tour are Packers Chairman/CEO Bob Harlan, Bubba Franks, Donald Driver and Rob Davis. Packers staff members on the tour are Cathy Dworak, manager of community relations, Mark Schiefelbein, director of administrative affairs, Doug Collins, assistant director of security and Aaron Popkey, corporate communications specialist.
Also on the bus ride to Milwaukee was a crew from the Packers' kids TV show, G-TV. Episodes this season will feature a story on the tour.
"We're excited to get started on the 'Tailgate Tour,' " Harlan said. "The bus looks fantastic. It will be lots of fun to pull up to the different stops in such an eye-catcher. I'm sure the fans will enjoy it."
"This bus is great," Driver said "I feel like John Madden on the Madden Cruiser."
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