Elevate

“Honor Your Legacy”

Clemson is synonymous with family, and during the 2021 Clemson University football season opener against UGA at BOA Stadium, Coty and I were overjoyed to share the Clemson University traditions with our Charlotte family.

Beautiful Photo by Brandon Grate Photography

We partnered with IPTAY to host an elevated tailgate in honor of the Clemson football program, P.A.W. Journey. The P.A.W. in P.A.W. Journey is an acronym for “Passionate About Winning,” This program encourages scholar-athletes to maintain a continually competitive posture towards all aspects of the journey of life.

Essentially, college football Hall of Famer and Clemson legend, Jeff Davis, or as we call him JD and his beautiful wife Joni, founded P.A.W. Journey to develop the whole person and they wanted Scholar Athletes to win in every area of life, their households, their careers, their communities, and on the football field.

It is no surprise that Jeff Davis would be so vested in the Clemson Scholar-Athlete. A former Clemson Tiger on the 1981 National Championship team, “when examining Davis’ contributions to Clemson athletics in terms of leadership, citizenship, and athletic records and awards, it is no surprise that he became just the fourth member of Clemson’s prestigious Ring of Honor before the opener of the 1995 season. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.”

In April of 2001, he received the “Use Your Life Award” from Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network for his work in the Call Me Mister Program. He and his wife Joni graduated from Clemson on the same day in 1984. They are proud parents and grandparents who are a prolific force for the Clemson University P.A.W. Journey program.

As a mentor, Jeff Davis pours his heart, soul, and time into the development of students. One of his mantras states, “I am compelled to serve because of those who came before me and those who will come after me.”

Today, JD built a powerhouse leadership team in P.A.W. Journey staff, consisting of former Clemson Football legends Rashard Hall and Antoine McClain and programming experts Karli Welch and Savannah Bailey.

KNOW YOUR HISTORY

The formal definition of legacy is something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor from the past. In essence, each former Clemson athlete serves as the predecessor of the Clemson University football legacy. So, over the past few years, as the world has watched Clemson Football ascend to the throne, they were indirectly watching a glimpse of the legacies that the former players that came before them created. 

Beautiful Photo by Brandon Grate Photography

We created this tailgate as a moment to honor the legacy they created during their time at Clemson. A moment to reunite in brotherhood, fellowship, and connect with prolific leaders, near and far, with a common goal of supporting the scholar-athlete at Clemson. 

Something was inspiring about this night, something magnetic about being amongst prolific Clemson Football Legends and IPTAY supporters.

SERVE WITH US

Living through Covid taught us the importance of being present and, at the moment, the importance of right now. Now is the era where we want the current scholar-athletes to see former Clemson Scholar-Athletes like my husband and his former teammates carry the torch of leadership.

Beautiful Photo by Brandon Grate Photography

Our ask is simple, join us, join us as we sew seeds into P.A.W. Journey, and continue to partner with the program to create opportunities for future scholar-athletes, join us and use your resources of time, financial contributions, and connections to life-changing opportunities, to positively impact the life of the Clemson Scholar-Athlete. 

Coty and I made a pact as Clemson Alumni and supporters of P.A.W. Journey that no longer will we stand on the sideline and talk about our glory days as tigers; Rather, we will lead with integrity, intention, and boldness.

In addition to bringing our Charlotte Clemson family together, old and new, in essence, we celebrated leadership, longevity, and the P.A.W. Journey Legacy.

Click HERE to learn more about how you can support the Clemson University P.A.W Journey Program.

THE DECOR

True Winning is in the attention to the details, and at the “Honor your Legacy” elevated tailgate, Ivy Robinson of @ivyrobonson events left no detail undone. She and her staff made this evening beautiful and memorable. She transformed the rooftop at Charlotte’s coveted Restaurant and Lounge, Merchant & Trade, into a beautiful sea of purple in orange.

As a Clemson Tiger, we take our tailgating seriously, and Ivy understood the assignment. She brought the Clemson traditions and atmosphere of Death Valley to Queen City.

Beautiful Photo by Brandon Grate Photography

Custom libations are a must for an elevated tailgate. So Ivy created a variety of custom cocktails for our guests to enjoy. After some R&D with a few of her friends that graduated from Clemson, Ivy created the sexiest Clemson-themed cocktails for the tailgate, Two Dollar Tiger Juice, Howard on the Rocks, and The PAW.

In the south, delicious food is mandatory, and a tailgate is no exception. Ivy worked closely with the head chef at Merchant & Trade to create a menu that reflected the heart and soul of a Southern Tailgate. Crispy french fries, succulent chicken and beef sliders, gourmet charcuterie boards with local, imported cheese, football-shaped blondie brownies, and Clemson-themed cookies. My favorite was the salad bar, which consisted of locally sourced vegetables, imported meats, and cheeses with fresh greens served with an array of house-made accouterments, freshly baked slices of bread, and sliced fruits. Accompanied by chicken breast, steamed Shrimp, and seared salmon, you name it, we ate it and enjoyed it.

Finally, my favorite aspect of the event, the WOW factor, was the decor. Ivy asked the steering committee to think of three words to describe the event during our preliminary planning sessions. We stated-” family, legacy, excitement,” and she executed this vibe to perfection.

Referee Shirts for our serving team, mini footballs to adorn the beautiful arrangements featuring purple and orange blooms from @CLUX, beautiful green turf everywhere, balloons that were grand and festive from @theballoonwrangler, “CU” lights from @alphalitcharlotte, unique and custom signage from the talented @elisabethrose, and a sea of purple and orange pillows. IT WAS PERFECT. 

I am forever grateful to Ivy for capturing my heart and believing in this vision.

The Heartbeat of the Vision
Finally, I want to thank my amazing husband, Coty Sensabaugh. I am a firm believer that when God gives you a vision, you execute that vision with confidence and boldness. Coty has always held passion for pouring into Clemson Scholar-Athletes, and I am grateful that he has included me in his mission to serve, empower, and uplift. Thank you to my brother @brandongrate_ for perfectly capturing two imperfect college sweethearts, walking out their purpose, and demonstrating their love for @ClemsonUniversity.

Press Play to relive the night through @fadeawayzproductions lens.