Michael Ferraro stood in front of space 3234 at the Beaver Stadium parking lot with a pitcher of frozen margaritas. As he poured drinks for his tailgating party, a woman walked up from a few spaces down the lot and said, "You probably don't remember me ... "
The conversation continued with comments about the game, the weather and how great it is that Ferraro, a 1987 alumnus, and his friends, John Winarchick and Bob Correll, the tailgate's main cook, had opened their space to everyone in the lot.
"It's amazing how many friends you make when you hand out free margaritas," Ferraro said.
Margaritas aren't the only treat the tailgating three offer to passersby. At every home game for the past 10 years, the trio's space turns into a tailgating feast, complete with hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, chicken and other game-day necessities for students, alumni and even fans of the opposing team, Ferraro said.
"I love Bob's tailgate," John Sladewski (senior-human development and family studies) said. "I've been coming here every year since my freshman year. Even after I graduate, I'm still gonna come back here every year."
Last week, for Penn State's football season opener against Florida International University, Correll went through more than 500 hot dog rolls.
This week, he said he was prepared with more than 500 rolls, 90 eggs, 120 burgers, 108 hotdogs, 24 chicken breasts and a variety of pastas, all of which he offered free of charge.
"Our whole concept of tailgating is based on the premise of continuing education for students and us old folks," said Correll, of Harrisburg, who graduated from Penn State Berks in 1963. "For me, it's a way of giving back."
Without his Penn State education, Correll said he would not have made it as far as he did in the engineering field. He said that today, he has 18 U.S. patents and 12 international patents in communications equipment.
He added that for each tailgating event, he spends more than $2,000 on food supplies.
Tailgating at the space hasn't always been as extensive as it is now, Ferraro said. In fact, the three didn't even have their current space to begin with.
"We started in the back of our trunk with four people packed into the car," Ferraro, of Nazareth, said. "Our space was actually two spaces next to our current location."
Winarchick, a 1974 alumnus, met Ferraro through work, during an interview where he saw Ferraro had attended Penn State, which gave the two a lot to talk about, Winarchick said.
When space 3234 became available, the two quickly put in a request and received the spot.
Around that time, Correll, a longtime tailgater nearby, was in need of a new spot.
"We had no problem inviting him to join our spot," Winarchick said. "Now, we have the front grill area to feed the masses and the back for relaxing with friends and people we know."
Since then, a van has been added, along with new grills, heating units and a sink for washing dishes, Ferraro said.
"We have everything and the kitchen sink," Ferraro said. "We bring everything home clean, which keeps our wives happy."
It's been more than a decade now since the three have been providing free food at space 3234, and they see no end in sight, Winarchick said.
"This really feels like home," he said. "There's really no place I'd rather be on a home football Saturday than here with friends."
