Brandon Graham Visits Dorney Park, Promotes Tailgate Fundraiser

Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham returned to the Lehigh Valley on Monday, Aug. 4, to have a little fun at Dorney Park in Allentown. Graham also promoted the Tailgate in the Park charity fundraiser that he'll host there on Thursday, Aug. 21, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Tickets for the event are available online at tailgateinthepark.com. They range from $45 to $250 for general admission, a VIP experience, and an ELITE VIP experience. Lehigh Valley News.com confirmed that at least 3,000 tickets were available as of late last month.

While the park will be open for regular operating hours, access to Tailgate in the Park will require a separate admission ticket. VIP experience and ELITE VIP ticketholders will receive early access to an "exclusive barbecue" with Graham at the Parkside Pavilion at 5 p.m. General admission ticketholders will gain access to the pavilion at 7 p.m.

"It's not your typical 'you're going to a sports game,' but it is going to be a pre-game before we get on the rides," said Graham in an interview with WFMZ-TV 69 News. "It's always great to do something when you've got a platform, and for me that happened to be this, and I just want to spread the love." 

Every ticket sold for the fundraiser benefits The Tech Bodega, a nonprofit that helps form technology hubs in inner city neighborhoods, and the Dorney Park Cares program.

"We support a number of local charities from A Kid Again, Camelot for Children, and the United Way," said Dorney Park's public relations manager Ryan Eldredge, in a statement to WFMZ-TV 69 News..

In addition to climbing into the Iron Menace and smiling as he catapulted down the 150-foot free-fall, Graham took time to speak with and snap photos with his fans during Monday's visit.