Chris Caporale, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
The 11th annual Green Bay Packers Tailgate Tour is set to visit Shawano at 6 p.m. June 21.
The event, which will be held at the Crawford Center, will include food, giveaways, question-and-answer sessions and autographs. The players set to attend the event include Jared Abbrederis, Sam Barrington and Jayrone Elliott, along with Packers alumni LeRoy Butler, Robert Brooks and Sean Jones.
“The Packers are very excited to embark on the 11th annual Tailgate Tour,” Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said in a press release. “Thanks to the loyalty of our fans, we are celebrating 11 successful years of this event. We are looking forward to visiting several areas throughout the state of Wisconsin, and we are proud to be supporting great organizations during the tour.”
Tickets for the Tailgate Tour go on sale Friday and can be purchased at Idell Johnson’s State Farm Office, WTCH, Charlie’s County Market and Bubba’s BBQ, and online at www.redriverriders.org.
General admission tickets are $5, which includes admission to the question-and-answer sessions and tailgate party activities. The $30 tailgate party tickets give patrons a free meal, two free drinks, an autograph from each of the Packers players in attendance and a giveaway, as well as admittance to the question-and-answer session and tailgate party activities.
The tour is traveling to Ripon, Dodgeville and Black River Falls prior to making its final stop in Shawano.
“We’re hoping for thousands (in attendance). I think 3,000 would be an amazing number,” Idell Johnston said. “It is the closest event to Green Bay.”
Johnston, who is organizing the event with the help of Katie Sloma, said that the organization will reach out to various places in northeastern Wisconsin, from Rhinelander to Appleton because of Shawano’s central location.
Ticket proceeds will benefit the Red River Riders, which began offering therapeutic horseback riding classes to those with disabilities in 1986. The organization serves 60 riders with eight horses.
“It’s an amazing opportunity. With our organization, this will allow us to improve our arena where the kids have the actual classes,” said Johnston, who is on the Red River Riders board. “It will allow us to give more scholarships and get two more horses.”
Johnston is still looking for sponsors for the Packers’ visit. Organizations interested in sponsoring can call her at 715-526-6144.