As Thanksgiving approaches, Black Friday follows the next  day.  Some folks think shopping, for others including this commentator it also involves a football game.  My Knights of Pythias FDR Lodge 613 runs a Big Screen Black Friday Football & Dinner Watch Party (thank you Eric Diamond for this and our other event flyers linked on our events page.). 

This year’s game features the Denver Broncos at the Pittsburgh Steelers.   The net proceeds support the charities that our Kings-FDR Tolerance Foundation donates to each year, including the SNAP senior services agency dear to my heart  In conjunction with the game, we also make available Black Friday boxes (see above image) to support our charities.  Readers of this blog (and others) might enjoy the opportunity to support our charitable effort and reach out to this commentator for “boxes.” 

Many enjoy “buying” boxes around the final score or variations on it.

Each June, my FDR Lodge 613’s Kings FDR Tolerance Foundation distributes donations and often scholarships; we hold additional fundraisers as does Gotham, including the outing to see the Mets engage the Yankees, May 30 (same as Gotham). As explained in prior blogs the Boxes Fundraiser employs what I call the “Ira system” of boxes after Kings-FDR Tolerance Foundation Past President Ira Spiegel, CPA. 

Ira’s system provides 10 ways to win; this method ensures you focus on the game and perhaps root for teams you may otherwise despise (See the sample pic upper left.).  Ira originally developed it for the Super Bowl and yes we’ll have boxes for that soon enough.

A big difference this year that I employed with the 2026 Super Bowl involves no longer using pre-numbered Boxes,  This year’s Black Friday boxes (each year going forward), participants as with most football boxes select a box position and the numbers will be selected randomly just before the game; participants not present at the Watch Party, get notified of their numbers ahead of the game so they can follow along.

This FDR Black Friday fundraiser involves certain scoring (or non-scoring) at the end of each quarter (overtime does not count). Gotham members often support this effort (I think they enjoy the Ira system.). Last year Gotham’s Scott Bloom and Vincent Russo were Black Friday boxes winners.

Anyone interested in participating in this year’s Black Friday boxes, please reach out.