Big football game returns to Atlanta, will be played in three piece suits

All eyes will turn to Miami this weekend as the 49ers and Chiefs battle in Super Bowl 54.

But before that big game goes down in Miami, there’s another big game on the schedule in Atlanta. It’s the 12th annual Three-Piece Suit Football Charity Festival.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 57

A group of finely dressed men and women made their way to the Old Fourth Ward Skatepark on Saturday. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)

And while the 49ers and Chiefs will don brand new uniforms for the Super Bowl, they still won’t look as sharp as the men and and women taking part in the festival. As the name implies, they’ll be playing in suits. It’s not a game of two-hand touch or flag football, either. The participants will play tackle football.

The Three-Piece Suit Football Charity Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark., along the Beltline. The festival kicks off at noon while the game gets underway at 2 p.m. Admission is free.

Proceeds from the day’s festivities benefit Pets for Vets Atlanta and Battlefields to Ballfields. Pets for Vets Atlanta rescues and trains shelter dogs to be paired as companion animals with local Atlanta veterans who may be coping with a variety of issues following their military service. Battlefields to Ballfields a nonprofit organization founded by NFL rules analyst Mike Pereira, helps returning veterans reintegrate into civilian life by providing scholarships to assist them in training as sports officials.

Three Piece-Suit Football was first played in 2009 at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, as a pickup game on the morning of the Super Bowl to celebrate the culmination of the NFL season.

“The first year, there were 14 of us playing and a handful of spectators,” explains founder Cameron Miller.

As attendance and excitement for the game increased each year, the players decided to use the game as a way to raise support for worthy causes.

“One of our original players was active military and missed the second Three Piece Suit Football (game) when he was deployed to Iraq,” Miller said. “So when deciding on a charity, it was fitting to support veterans and their causes.”

To date, Three-Piece Suit Football has raised over $140,000 for veteran-related causes at the events.

“It’s grown because people love football and the ridiculousness of watching a game of tackle football played in colorful, fancy suits. It captures the imagination,” Miller said.

© 2020 Cox Media Group