If you've been psyching yourself up for The Tailgate on November 3 (keep reading for a ticket deal), you likely already know what we'll be serving and what you might want to wear.
But a key component of our newest party is shining a spotlight on sports-related nonprofits — and you'll even get to meet some of the athletes that champion these important causes.
Read up on who's going to be there and how you can get involved in their life-changing work:
The Muny Conservancy (Save Muny)
As the first public course in the South to racially desegregate, Lions Municipal Golf Course is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Muny Conservancy was created in 2019 to help permanently preserve and improve this iconic Austin recreational green space, and to help make sure all 141 acres are saved for future generations to enjoy, with affordable golf, public accessibility, the civil rights history of the site, and promotion of the game in mind. The wildlife, heritage oaks, and 18 holes of golf have been an important part of Austin's parkland since 1924.
For almost a century, Lions Municipal Golf Course has leased the land on which it sits from the University of Texas. Now, the University is ready to determine a permanent use for these 141 acres. Once the course is preserved, The Muny Conservancy has plans to restore and improve the course with award-winning golf course architecture firm Coore & Crenshaw, and create a dynamic public facility where everyone can not only play golf, but gather and enjoy community activities like farmers markets, music events, and more.
The goal is to keep Muny as a place where families and children of all ages can learn and practice the core values that golf teaches, like honesty, integrity, and good sportsmanship. There are also plans to build a teaching center that honors the historic integration of a legendary public golf course, and the courageous people who made that happen.
Save Muny co-chair Scotty Sayers, board member Ed Clements, and local golf professional Joe Beck will be at The Tailgate to talk all things Muny and golf.
Score some sweet Save Muny merch (with all sales going to the nonprofit), sign a petition to preserve the course, play some putt-putt, and enter to win four tickets to the second annual Imagine Muny Gala in February, 2023.
Defend the Dream Foundation
Derrick Johnson, a former Texas Longhorn who played with the Kansas City Chiefs and garnered prestige in both positions, started Defend the Dream in 2012 to connect low-income and inner city youths with better resources and opportunities. He moved back to Austin in 2019 to help support the nonprofit even further.
Recently, the foundation presented Austin’s first Discovery Den to Oak Springs Elementary School, in East Austin near Airport Boulevard. Defend the Dream has been installing Discovery Dens in other schools for years, transforming school library spaces into well-stocked, football-themed reading areas with bright colors and lots of seating.
The goal is to create a comfortable and engaging space to encourage reading. In this case, it’s nearly $58,000 of donations for a “multi-functional space,” with donated furniture, bookshelves, and new flooring. In addition to a more exciting atmosphere, this donation covers more than 1,000 new books, selected for diversity, in an effort to modernize the current library selection. Langford Elementary and Pickle Elementary schools are next to receive their own Discovery Dens.
You can meet Johnson at The Tailgate, as well as pose for pics and get his autograph.
How to buy tickets
Fired up to make a difference in your community? Show up to The Tailgate on November 3 at Distribution Hall, where delicious food and drink, fun games, and representatives from both nonprofits will be waiting.
Get your tickets now, and use promo code DONATE to get 50 percent off your ticket price. Plus, CultureMap will donate 100 percent of your ticket purchase back to these participating charities.
Photo courtesy of Defend the Dream Foundation
Derrick Johnson is connecting kids with better resources and opportunities.
