Hello again Harvard Football alums, Friends and fans, Great response to yesterday's email regarding the Harvard Football NYC Dinner! The dinner is now two weeks from today -- Thursday, May 6th. We're up to 45 people who have signed up to attend the dinner (some people below are bringing TBD guests): Willie Alford '02 Michael Armstrong '03 Joseph Azelby '84 Julian Bach '36 Jim Bell '89 Jim Beslity '75 Edward Boyle '87 Ronald Cami '89 Nate Dean '00 Benjamin Decker Harris Decker '76 Edwin Durso '75 Karlo Duvnjak '80 Kevin Fagan '93 Bob Glatz '88 Xavier Goss '03 Brian Hehir '75 Marc Anthony Hourihan '93 Samantha Hourihan John Keough '75 Clint Kollar '00 DJ Langis '90 Peter Mackie '85 Gerald Mahon '90 Charlie Margolis Joseph Margolis '83 Paul McNeeley (Varsity Club) Head Coach Tim Murphy William Newell '95 Richard Petton '87 Athletic Director Bob Scalise Keith Schappert '73 Dale Schober (parent of incoming freshman Russell Schober) Eugene Skowronski '65 Anthony Smith '69 John Thorndike '64 John Tulenko '54 Daniel Vereb '96 Brad Wilford '00 Donnie Young '96 Also, a Friends of Football member called the Varsity Club today to point out an article of note from yesterday's Boston Globe, involving former Harvard Footballer Kevin McCafferty '76 ... the article is pasted below. BRIGHAM'S OWNERS TRY A NEW FLAVOR The Boston Globe, Page: F1, Section: Business April 21, 2004 Author(s): Chris Reidy Brigham's Inc., a company that has served up dessert to local ice cream lovers for 90 years, has been acquired by a private equity investment firm that plans to put a former Ben & Jerry's executive in charge. New England Capital Partners of Newton said yesterday it bought Arlington-based Brigham's from foreign investors. Neither terms of the transaction nor Brigham's annual revenues were disclosed. Brigham's sells its name brand ice cream and Elan frozen yogurt in supermarkets and in 15 restaurants and ice cream shops it operates mostly in and around Boston. While Brigham's claims to be the city's best-selling ice cream, the new owners believe the brand can further increase sales by strengthening its position in the rest of New England and by becoming a player at food service venues such as sports arenas. "We see Brigham's as a very strong New England brand that has not capitalized on all its growth opportunities," said Kevin M. McCafferty, chairman of New England Capital Partners, who added, "We are committed to providing the resources necessary to enhance and expand upon the Brigham's legacy." Product extensions and new flavors are also part of the plan. Brigham's got a lift a few years ago from a flavor called Big Dig. Inspired by the Central Artery project, this dessert variation mixes a recipe of caramel and chocolate syrups with vanilla ice cream, according to McCafferty. According to Brigham's website, its roots go back to 1914, and the company got its name from Edward Brigham, a local pioneer of sundaes so popular that a police presence was sometimes needed at his Newton store for weekend crowd control. To execute its growth plan, New England Capital is bringing in Charles Green, who is set to take over as president and chief executive next week. He will also become an equity owner of the company. His career in ice cream includes stints at Unilever Ice Cream, where he was a vice president of strategy and distribution, and at Ben & Jerry's, where he served as a senior director of North American sales and distribution. Unilever owns the Ben & Jerry's brand. Green will succeed Roger Theriault, who has been Brigham's president since 1995 and who was instrumental in bringing Brigham's and New England Capital Partners together, New England Capital Partners said. At first glance, the highly competitive ice cream business would seem to be experiencing challenging times. The costs of many ice cream ingredients are up sharply, and for many health-conscious consumers watching their weight, ice cream is something they've scratched off their grocery store shopping list. McCafferty, though, thinks that diets are a fad that won't have a long-term impact on ice cream sales. Despite the diet boom, several ice cream chains have enjoyed success lately, said Ron Paul, the president of Technomic, a consulting firm that tracks the restaurant industry. One example is Cold Stone Creamery. A company that opened its first store in Arizona in 1988 has grown to a chain with more than 600 locations in 44 states, including Massachusetts. "We're seeing the resurgence of snacking in general and ice cream in particular," Paul said. "People still like to treat themselves to small indulgences whether it's a cup of Starbucks coffee or a small dish of ice cream." Paul McNeeley Friends Coordinator, Harvard Varsity Club Direct: 617-496-9356 Main: 617-495-3535 Fax: 617-496-8296 Murr Center 65 North Harvard Street Boston, MA 02163