them in charitable endeavors. The
other things is, I get choked up even
thinking about it, but I never thought
– I always daydreamed about it – that
a bunch a guys from humble beginnings
could actually run a charity and
impact people’s lives,” Wraith said. “I
don’t want to have a ton of us patting
ourselves on the back, but it happens
to a degree, and it’s an amazing, amazing
experience as a human being to
help other people.”
Past tailgates have helped charities
such as The Riley Sandler Foundation,
the Sarcoma Foundation and the Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation, as well as organizations
like the American Cancer
Society. Charities are chosen by the
group, with each member getting a
vote and input. Their only hope is the
cause they decide on is one close to
their hearts.
“We want to be connected to these
people in some fashion, either a neighbor
or someone that has impacted our
life, or a coworker, or someone along
those lines,” Wraith said. “We want it
to be connected to us, and we’re all
very connected to each other. Every
one of us has had some modicum of
success, so we’re not
looking to be compensated.
It’s just our way
of giving back, and we
get to throw a kick-ass
party that’s a lot of
fun.”
The party itself is,
as Capon said, “It’s
not just one of the
greatest parties of all time, it’s the
greatest tailgate of all time for a great
cause.” Stocked with five fully stocked
bars with top-shelf liquor, food that includes
Kobe beef, lamb chops, sushi
and products from Bowery Meat Co.,
as well as a DJ to help kick off the tailgate
and a gaming center for kids to be
able to play video games, there is
something for everyone.
In part, it’s able to come together
with the help of the members’ skillsets
as well as their own individual backgrounds
and networks.
“This started as a bunch of guys
that were just there to have a good
football toss and poker game; that was
the genesis of this whole thing, and we
all realized we have networks,” Goldstein
said. “Two of the founding fathers
are partners in the Tao Group in
New York City, and they had their tentacles
in everything. Dr. Wraith owns
physical medical centers and gyms in
the area, as do I, and Josh is a
50 BC The Mag FALL 2018