Guilderland, NY (WRGB) — Food, football and philanthropy came together Sunday as crowds gathered in Guilderland to celebrate the life of Robert “Bobby Mac” McNamara, a beloved philanthropist who died about a year and a half ago.
The “Tailgate to Celebrate Bobby Mac” at Tawasentha Park featured dishes from more than 20 local restaurants, celebrity judges, raffles, live music and appearances from former professional athletes. The event was sponsored by Lia Cars and The Bunker.
McNamara was remembered as a tireless supporter of local charities, showing up at countless golf tournaments, galas and fundraisers with what friends called his signature smile. But friends said nothing brought him more joy than New York Giants football.
“So one of his favorite things to do was to tailgate at Giant Stadium,” said co-chair Jay Vandervort. “For 25 years, he had season tickets, and his favorite thing was to plan the menu out and put these huge tailgating parties together. There would be 100 people at some of them. So we wanted to do that because that’s what he would want to do.”
That lifelong Giants passion came full circle Sunday when the team was represented by Stephen “The Touchdown Maker” Baker, the wide receiver who helped New York win Super Bowl XXV. Baker signed autographs, posed for pictures and tossed footballs with kids — a fitting tribute to the man who loved nothing more than bringing people together on game day.
Our Greg Floyd served as emcee, while guests enjoyed drinks from more than 10 Capital Region breweries, distilleries and wineries, as well as a mocktail competition judged by bar and restaurant owners.