With a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t the only ones celebrating. A local LGBT business had a friendly wager with an establishment in Boston pending the game’s outcome.
Woody’s Bar in Philadelphia made the bet with Club Café in Boston: If the Eagles won the Super Bowl, Club Café would make a $500 donation to Philadelphia FIGHT. If the Patriots won, Woody’s would make a $500 donation to Harbor to the Bay.
Harbor to the Bay is an all-volunteer AIDS benefit bike ride in Boston, which raises funds for LGBT organizations. Philadelphia Fight provides primary care, consumer education, advocacy and research on potential treatments and vaccines specific to HIV/AIDS.
Even with Philadelphia’s victory, representatives from Woody’s decided not only to donate $500 to Harbor to the Bay, but also matched the $500 Club Café gave to Philadelphia Fight.
“It was never about the money but about showing that the LGBTQ community supports our teams and our cities, that we are part of the greater community. We also made new friends that share our goals in the staff of Club Café,” said Woody’s co-owner Michael Weiss in a statement.
“We were happy to tell them that in celebration of the Eagles’ win and to celebrate two great cities with great LGBTQ communities, we would still make a $500 to the Boston HIV charity they chose: Harbor the Bay,” Weiss said.
The wager was created when J Nathan Bazzel, administrator at Woody’s, reached out to Club Café.
“It’s fun. Let’s face it: We are both big sports towns [with] very loud personalities. Philadelphia and Boston have a lot of things in common. It’s an opportunity for the LGBTQ community to show our support but also keep awareness on important topics such as HIV and the HIV community,” Bazzel said.
“It’s about showing our community support, showing LGBT love and interest for our teams and our communities and building awareness around an important issue that is still going on,” he added.
James Morgrage, co-owner of Club Café, talked about the importance of not only cheering on the teams, but also coming together for a good purpose.
“I guess what is most important to us is to show that no matter what is going on in the world, we are all in it together and we have a responsibility to set the example and work together to better our communities. We are, of course, excited to get together, cheer on our teams and have a great night knowing that regardless of the outcome, we have done a great thing with our friends and colleagues in Philadelphia,” Morgrage said.
The LGBT venues weren’t the only ones getting involved in the big game. Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus and Boston Gay Men’s Chorus also had a Super Bowl wager.
The losing team had to record the opposing team’s song choice and post it online.
With the Eagles’ win, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus will be singing Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom.” Once recorded, it will be available to watch on the BGMC YouTube page.
“We got local, national and international coverage for both choruses and for GALA choruses through this good-natured bet,” said PGMC artistic director Joe Buches. “It’s competitive fun all around. It’s bringing awareness to what we do and why we do it. It’s about keeping visibility in the community. We’re more than just singing, we’re trying to better the world and teach people acceptance and love. It’s great to do that together.”
If the Patriots won, the PGMC would have performed “Please Come Home to Boston.”
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney released a statement after the victory that also acknowledged bringing people together,
“To the fans: I have long felt that our city’s professional and collegiate sports teams bring Philadelphians together, regardless of race, income, neighborhood or gender, and that was never more true than during the Eagle’s brilliant season. We know you have waited years, some for decades, for the chance to crown your birds as champs. I urge everyone to celebrate in a way that is safe and respectful to everyone from neighbors to strangers.” n