Touch Down For Charity

Touchdown for Charity … What do you get when you team up 21 NY Jets football players, their coach and 600 of their biggest fans? Draft day? Nope. The third annual NY Jets Taste of the NFL Celebrity Benefit. The goal: to raise funds for the ShopRite Partners In Caring program, which helps fight hunger in communities throughout Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Held on May 11, 2005 at Bridgewaters in the South Street Seaport, this third benefit proved to be a star-studded event. Guests mingled with Jets players like Chad Pennington, Kevin Mawae and Jonathan Vilma, plus Head Coach Herman Edwards, Owner Woody Johnson, General Manager Terry Bradway and Assistant General Manager Mike Tannenbaun. Also on hand were actors Paul Rudd (“Clueless,” “Friends”) and Dominic Chianese (“Sopranos”). Not to mention that the benefit featured an evening of outstanding food prepared by celebrity chefs from some of New York’s finest restaurants. This year’s restaurants included NOBU, Tribeca Grill, Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse and Rue 57, among others.

Six hunderd-plus guests attended and helped raise more than $140,000 to benefit the ShopRite Partners In Caring program. Funds raised came from both ticket sales and silent auction items, including autographed sports memorabilia, jewelry and Broadway show tickets.

The 2006 NY Jets Taste of the NFL is scheduled for May 11th. Keep checking the ShopRite Partners In Caring Web site for details and ticket information: www.shopritepartnersincaring.org.