In Schuylkill County Sunday night, Super Bowl XLVIII was all about chicken wings and pizza, fundraisers and family time.
Jeff Oakes, Tamaqua, his wife, Nicole, and their three children, Julie, 5; J.J., 3, and Jillian, 4 months, watched the Denver Broncos take on the Seattle Seahawks on a screen more than six feet high and 10 feet wide in the community room at St. Richard Roman Catholic Church, Barnesville.
"My father-in-law and mother-in-law are volunteering here, so we came out to support them," Jeff Oakes said.
"They're in the kitchen," Nicole said. Her parents are Laura and Greg Pagan, Barnesville.
They were in a crowd of more than 40 for the church's first "Super Bowl Party."
Soon after the start of the game, a Doritos commercial called "Time Machine" blazed across the screen. It was made by a group of friends, including Tommy Schaeffer Jr., 40, a Minersville native now of Phoenix, Ariz.
They made the commercial to enter the "Crash the Super Bowl" contest, competing to win $1 million. The winning commercial was to be broadcast during the Super Bowl.
" 'Time Machine' is one of the Crash the Super Bowl winners!" Doritos posted on its Facebook page Sunday night, but offered no further information.
Schaeffer could not be reached for comment Sunday night.
For the most part, Super Bowl Sunday was an opportunity for local people to have fun watching the big game at the end of football season, according to
Daniel E. Kelly, treasurer and chief engineer for West End Hose Company No. 7, Pottsville.
Kelly was among the volunteers who rolled up his sleeves to work at fundraisers to sell food to hungry football fans Sunday.
At 11 a.m. volunteers at Good American Hose Company No. 3, Mahanoy City, started up cooking up orders of chicken wings and pizzas to raise funds.
By 4 p.m., they sold out of pizzas and sold more than 100 orders of chicken wings, according to Thomas Dolbin, a company trustee.
An order at the Good American was 10 chicken wings for $8. Varieties included hot, mild, BBQ and honey mustard, Dolbin said.
"We had 43 pizzas and sold out by 4 o'clock. We bought 400 pound of wings. What we don't sell tonight, we'll keep in the freezer and sell at future events," Dolbin said.
The food sale ended at 7 p.m. At 8:06 p.m., Dolbin said they sold "just a hair over 200 orders. We only sold 120 last year, so we did a lot better this year."
Volunteers at West End Hose sold just wings, starting at 1 p.m. The cost was $9 a dozen and $4.50 a half dozen. Varieties included hot, mild, barbecue, creamy hot, garlic, honey mustard, Parmesan peppercorn and old bay, according to the sign on the door.
"It's between $62 and $65 a 40-pound case. We bought 10 cases, which is 400 pounds of wings. That's about 266 dozen. If we sell them all, we might make about $1,000 or $1,200. They're all fresh wings and we deep fry them," Kelly said.
Workers included Harry Reed, 62, of Pottsville, who was in the kitchen at the fire company at 1219 W. Market St.
Reed said he's been a volunteer with the fire company for more than 40 years.
"I'm one of the old guys," Reed said.
"He's the past vice president. Now he's the chief cook," Kelly said.
"I retired from all the stuff the young guys do. These are firefighters," Reed said, referring to the five volunteers who were helping him in the kitchen, including Michael Messner, assistant Pottsville fire chief.
By 2 p.m., they had sold 53 1/2 dozen, according to Don Kline, fire company secretary. "We go to 4 (p.m.)," he said.
Kelly wasn't sure if they'd sell out.
"If we don't sell out, we can put the rest away for our next sale," Kelly said.
At 4:30 p.m, Kelly said: "We sold 136 dozen. Not bad."
Gary Schwartz, Pottsville, was at the fire company bar at 2 p.m. He said he'd root for Denver.
"They've been doing good all year. They're the number one offense. I think it's going to be a close game, but I think Denver's going to win it. Who do you like in the Super Bowl?" Schwartz asked Kelly.
"Nobody in particular. I think it's going to be a good game. I hope it's going to be a good game," Kelly said.