A Tailgate with a Purpose: Bringing Bowdoin Families Together
By Bowdoin NewsWhen Kelly and Brian Douglas P’29 set out to host a Family Weekend tailgate, they had a simple goal: Make sure everyone had a place to feel welcome.
The Naperville, Illinois, couple, parents of sophomore Elle Douglas ’29, knew firsthand how overwhelming a busy Family Weekend gathering could feel for those still finding their footing in the Bowdoin community.
During their daughter's first year, they recalled wandering around the tailgate festivities, not knowing many people or quite where to go.
That experience inspired an idea: Why not create a welcoming gathering place where students, parents, alumni, and friends could stop by, share some food, and make new connections?
They reached out to Bowdoin last spring to explore the possibility. With enthusiastic support from College staff across several departments, their idea took shape, culminating in a tent at this fall’s Family Weekend festivities.
The result exceeded their expectations.
“We wanted to create a place where anyone could walk up, feel welcome, grab a bite, and hopefully leave having made a new friend,” the couple wrote afterward in a thank-you email to College staff. “And that's exactly what happened!”
Throughout the festivities, a steady stream of visitors stopped by, including students, parents, alumni, and a particularly spirited group of former Bowdoin football players from the Classes of 1984, 1986, and 1987.
“Seeing people come together, make connections, and genuinely feel like they belonged was everything we'd hoped for,” they wrote.
The gathering proved so successful that one first-year family who attended has already expressed interest in helping the Douglases sponsor next year's tailgate.
For Kelly and Brian, the experience reinforced what they have come to appreciate about Bowdoin: a community where connections matter, hospitality is contagious, and even a simple invitation to stop by for a bite can lead to lasting friendships.