Buffalo Takes Manhattan

Buffalo is a city that knows how to throw a party, and on Saturday, New York City will learn to tailgate Buffalo-style right in Times Square.

Buffalo Takes Manhattan, an event hosted by People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH Buffalo), is the fourth annual party thrown in Manhattan to benefit Buffalo's neighborhoods.

The event will celebrate the achievements of the City of Buffalo and focus on the positive changes in Buffalo's neighborhoods in the past year.

Buffalo Takes Manhattan will include a variety of food, entertainment and art to highlight what makes Buffalo such a unique place to live. The menu for the night will include pizza shipped from Buffalo, chicken wings and local beer favorites from Labatt Brewing Company and Flying Bison. The night will begin with a screening of two short films that highlight the city and Buffalo-based organizations that work to better the community.

Several of Buffalo's leading artists will host exhibits at the event. DJ LoPro, Rabbi Darkside and Kevlar will be performing, along with Buffalo's alternative burlesque troupe, The Stripteasers.

A moment of silence will be held to honor the Buffalo Bills, focusing on positive energy in hopes that the team will receive its first win against the Lions the following day.

Prizes highlighting Buffalo culture – including a prize pack containing CDs and other memorabilia signed by local musician Ani DiFranco – will be auctioned throughout the night.

The event will also honor and pay homage to Olympic gold medalist and world champion bobsledder Steve Mesler, a native of Buffalo.

Mesler, a graduate of City Honors School, got involved with PUSH Buffalo through a high school friend, Aaron Bartley, who is the executive director of the organization.

"I grew up on the West Side, and the work being done [by PUSH] is a mile from my parents' home," Mesler said. "It's a humbling experience."

Mesler began as a track athlete at City Honors and continued on at the University of Florida until he was injured.

After his injury, Mesler turned to bobsledding. He moved to Calgary with his coach in 2003. There, he had no job, car, or money, and he spent his time training for the 2006 Winter Olympics, where he finished in seventh place with his team.

In 2010, Mesler became the first Western New York athlete to receive a gold medal in the winter games.

Along with being the night's honoree, Mesler will also be auctioned off – one lucky attendee will win a dinner date with the Olympic gold medalist.

Mesler is excited to be honored at an event that showcases Buffalo in a positive light.

"Buffalo is a blue-collar town that works hard," Mesler said. "Buffalo has a bad rep around the whole country, [but] everyone is social and everyone is friendly."

The money raised from this event will benefit PUSH Buffalo's general operations.

PUSH Buffalo, founded in 2005, is a grassroots, non-profit community organization founded to rebuild the neighborhoods of Buffalo's West Side.

The organization's mission is to "mobilize residents to create strong neighborhoods with quality affordable housing, expand local hiring opportunities, and advance economic justice in Buffalo."

According to Whitney Yax, public education and green space coordinator for PUSH Buffalo, this organization allows community members to work together to actively change their neighborhoods for the better.

"[We] talk to people about their issues and see how we can better their neighborhoods," Yax said. "[The organization] is membership-driven and we look to create a neighborhood that is sustainable and community-oriented."

Buffalo Takes Manhattan expands on PUSH Buffalo's mission by helping former residents reconnect with Buffalo, and it is a way for people to celebrate their hometown.

The event is not just directed at former Buffalonians, but it is also a way for other New Yorkers to see Buffalo's potential.

"Buffalo is a really special place, and people really have such an affinity for this city," Yax said. "[Buffalo] is a city of friendly and kind people, [and we're] bringing them together in New York City."

The event will be held at the SEIU 1199 Building, located at 330 West 42nd St. (33rd Floor) in Times Square.

The party begins at 7:30 p.m., and anyone who comes dressed in Buffalo tailgate apparel will receive a free drink.

Tickets can be pre-ordered online for $25 and will be available at the door for $30.

For more information about the event, or to order tickets, visit http://www.pushbuffalo.org.

E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com