After spending years with a tampered-down tailgate, Callahan upgraded his setup during the 2004 season by purchasing an RV, called the Eagle Mobile. When that broke down in 2012, the group decided to splurge on the Eagle Mobile II, which is in the Tailgating Hall of Fame.
A major part of Callahan’s tailgates is supporting the Eagles Autism Foundation, holding auctions at his RV with the proceeds going to EAF.
He has donated $504,000 to date, including more than $82,000 this year alone. His involvement with EAF has even grown recently as he now has a nephew who is on the Autism spectrum.
“As I’ve come to meet people on the spectrum and also have family members who are on the spectrum, there’s more meaning to the fundraising to me now than it was in 2019,” Callahan said. “And I think if you look at how we did our fundraising over the course of those years, you’ll see the incremental increases and how well we’ve done.
“That’s a testament, not to me, but to the fundraising activities we can do at our tailgate and other events where we can actually bring in those that are around us to contribute and ultimately to reach the totals that we set for ourselves.”
Callahan’s involvement with the Eagles spans numerous decades and is felt throughout each department in the organization.
Now, he gets to represent the team on the NFL’s biggest stage. — Written by Matt Ryan