NIH’ers Celebrate College Football Season

NIH'ers stand in a long line waiting to order lunch from a food truck on campus.

Food trucks provide the “tailgate” aspect of the event celebrating the kick-off of the college football season.

Photo: Marleen Van Den Neste

Bray wears a purple LSU shirt and Bergman dons a Harvard lanyard.

OD’s Rosalina Bray wears her LSU Tigers shirt and NIGMS’s Ken Bergman shows off his Crimson Tide lanyard at the College Football Tailgate.

Photo: Marleen Van Den Neste

Smiling NIH'ers shop for soaps, lotions and honey from a community market vendor.

The Community Market was also an attraction.

Photo: Marleen Van Den Neste

The smiling bread lady sits at table with loaves for sale at outdoor community market.

Bread lady displays loaves for sale.

Photo: Marleen Van Den Neste

Are you ready for some football? These NIH’ers sure are. On Aug. 22, they wore their favorite college colors and chatted about their teams’ prospects at the College Football Season Kick-Off Tailgate, held at the NIH Community Market behind Bldg. 10.

OD’s Rosalina Bray said the tailgate began 4 years ago as a prelude to the college football season. At first, it celebrated only Southeastern Conference teams. Since then, the event has expanded to encompass all college football teams.

Participants ordered lunch from food trucks, Linda’s Luncheonette and Captain Cookie & the Milk Man. Proceeds from the event benefited Special Love Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides support and programs for families with children being treated for cancer.