By Alan Sorensen
Eat, drink, and be merry at pregame tailgate parties and then cheer on the Northern Lights football team during each of its home games.
Thats Hill County Tavern Associations prescription for raising fan support and a few thousand dollars to boot for the fledgling football program. The pregame tailgate parties are scheduled to begin two hours before home games on the SUBs south-side mall.
I think it will be a success when (fans) realize that if they go up and spend $4, the football team gets $4, Tavern Association President Jupe Compton said. One hundred percent of the receipts go to the team.
Compton said the tavern association will provide the hot dogs, bratwurst, buns, and condiments that volunteer cooks Scott Boots Young and Leonard Severson will prepare on a giant grill. The beer will be donated by Havre, Gusto, and Penningtons distributors, while the pop will be donated by the local Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola distributorships.
Compton said the dogs and bratwurst and cans of beer will go for $2 each. The pop will sell for less. The tailgate party will be shut down a half hour before game time to allow fans time to get to Blue Pony Stadium in time for the opening kick off.
The tavern association also will raffle off a quality, a-one lettermans jacket during each tailgate party.
Several 50/50 boards, with $62.50 payouts to both the winner and the team on each $125 board, will be filled each week, too.
I know the whole town wants to support the team and this is a fun, inexpensive way of doing it, Compton said.
