Germany knows ex-Giants player Markus Kuhn for a slice of NFL history. He’s helping the league grow

By JAMES ELLINGWORTH

The Associated Press

Nov. 7, 2024 at 10:54 am

FILE – New York Giants defensive tackle Markus Kuhn works out during NFL football practice, Oct. 29, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

MUNICH (AP) — From touring U.S. colleges with a highlights DVD to scoring a historic touchdown in the pros, Markus Kuhn blazed a trail for German players in American football. Now he’s helping the NFL to catch on in his home country.

Kuhn felt like a fan whose dream came true when he became the first German to score a touchdown in the NFL a decade ago. It’s what he’s best known for to Germany’s growing NFL audience.

The touchdown was a surprise for everyone, including Kuhn, who was a defensive tackle with the Giants when he returned a fumble 26 yards against the Tennessee Titans on Dec. 7, 2014, to help snap New York’s seven-game losing streak.

“I played quarterback in Germany at a very different level and so I scored a few touchdowns but never dreamed of doing it at that level,” Kuhn told The Associated Press. “Imagine you’re the biggest football fan ever and you dedicated almost your life to the sport at that point. And then all of a sudden you get to score a touchdown in the NFL. That’s what it felt like to me.”

A decade on, Kuhn is mulling how to mark the 10-year anniversary next month of his touchdown in the 36-7 win over the Titans. For now, he’s busy.

He’s an ambassador for the Giants ahead of their first game in Germany on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, works with the NFL on its international expansion and is a well-known face on German TV coverage of the league. It makes for a full schedule.

It’s all very different to how Kuhn started out in football. He first played the game at age 15 in Germany’s amateur club scene and got into North Carolina State after touring colleges with a highlights DVD of his games in Germany. Explaining his new unpaid status as a student-athlete to his grandmother was tricky.

“She was kind of shocked, like, ‘Wait, you’re doing all this, but you’re not getting paid?’ It didn’t resonate with her that it looked like I’m a professional athlete now, but I’m not making money.”

Kuhn was drafted by the Giants in the seventh round in 2012 and played four seasons in the league. He had 48 total tackles and 1 1/2 sacks and two fumble recoveries over his 39 career games. His history-making touchdown was his only score. Kuhn suffered a knee injury in December 2015 and joined the New England Patriots as a free agent for the following season, but didn’t play again.

Since retiring as a player, Kuhn has promoted the Patriots and Giants franchises as an ambassador, consulted with the NFL Players Association on international issues and worked as an occasional international correspondent for the league.

The arrival of players like Kuhn and Sebastian Vollmer, a Super Bowl winner with the Patriots, helped to spread the word in the U.S. that there was football talent and passion in Germany, and to grow the game’s audience back home.

“Some things seem more impossible if nobody has ever done it,” Kuhn said. “But now there’s actually people to look up to, there’s stories you can follow, there’s certain paths that have been built that makes definitely coming to America and playing American football in the U.S. a lot easier.”

Markus Kuhn returns to Giants organization ahead of trip to Germany

 

Jul 22, 2024 at 10:08 AM

East Rutherford, N.J. - Thirty years ago, the Giants took part in the first ever NFL game in Germany when they defeated the San Diego Chargers, 28-20, in a 1994 preseason game in Berlin.

 

Twenty years later, Giants defensive tackle Markus Kuhn became the first ever German-born player to score a touchdown in an NFL game when he scooped up a fumble and returned it 26 yards during a 36-7 win over the Tennessee Titans during the 2014 season.

 

The Giants now have official marketing rights in Germany, and with their upcoming trip across the pond in Week 10 for a matchup against the Carolina Panthers at Allianz Arena in Munich, the organization has brought back a familiar face to help lead the charge on the German content front. Kuhn returns to the Giants as an official German brand ambassador and content strategist for this season.

 

Kuhn spent four seasons with the Giants from 2012-15. He played in 39 games with 11 starts and finished his NFL career with 48 total tackles (24 solo), 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, four passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and, of course, the aforementioned defensive touchdown.

 

In his new role, the former defensive tackle will provide overall guidance on the landscape in Germany and give recommendations on content, events, and in-market activations. Kuhn will also serve as the face of the team's German social and digital accounts to help create content that will bridge the culture of New York and Germany, while also educating on the sport of American football.

 

Kuhn recently joined the Giants Huddle podcast to discuss his new role with the team, the NFL's popularity in Germany and much more.

 

"The Giants were the last team before the international game series started that played in Germany as part of the World Games when they played in Germany in the 90s," Kuhn said. "So the Giants played in Germany as the last team. Now, coming back this year, there's a big fan base in Germany. There's fan clubs that meet and watch together. So, we have a good amount of Giants fans, but also we just have a ton of American football fans in Germany that still are undecided for the team. We're trying to see if we can turn them into Giants fans."

 

Kuhn was born and raised in Mannheim and began playing football at the age of 14 after being introduced to the sport while on vacation with his family in Florida. He eventually joined the Weinheim Longhorns of the German Football League (GFL), where his accolades included Rookie of the Year along with being named a four-time GFL All-Star.

 

He then came to the United States in 2007 with the desire to play collegiate football. After traveling around the country with his father handing out his highlight reel on DVD to any football program that would entertain him, Kuhn eventually ended up with a scholarship to North Carolina State. A few years later, Kuhn was selected by the Giants in the seventh-round (No. 239 overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.

 

"Obviously, I know American football has been growing in Germany," said Kuhn. "It's one of the biggest growth markets outside of the U.S. for American football. We have 20 million football fans, people that are interested in American football in Germany. It's the second-most watched TV sport after soccer. We have about a million people watching the NFL every weekend, every Sunday, we have millions of people watching the Super Bowl. The Giants are going back this year, so there's a lot of buzz happening."

 

Kuhn added, "Being back for the second time and working here now for the third time is obviously very exciting. It means a lot to me."

 

To follow the Giants German-language social media accounts visit our official Instagram (@NYGiants_Deutschland), Twitter (@Giants_DEU) and Facebook accounts along with our dedicated digital hub to keep up with the latest news on all things Big Blue.

 

Germany has produced some big NFL linemen: Markus Kuhn

 

By Peter King
November 14, 2022

Germany has produced some big linemen, including former Patriots tackle Sebastian Vollmer and ex-Giants defensive tackle Markus Kuhn. Both work as ambassadors for the league here, and as TV commentators on the game. Their origin stories are long shots, which is why the NFL wants to see more club football and flag football programs—both of which are growing here.

Kuhn, by age 14, hadn’t found a sport to his liking until he was prompted to try out for a club football team near his home in Weinheim. As a linebacker and defensive tackle on his club team, he was an all-league player. But then what?

“I wanted to try to play college football,” Kuhn said Saturday. “I thought I might be good enough, but I didn’t know. So my dad and I flew to Washington D.C., rented a car. We didn’t know how the recruiting process worked. I had a recruiting tape, and for two months we just drove down the coast—Liberty, Richmond, William & Mary, North Carolina State. Just showed up at the front door of the schools and said, ‘I’m Markus, I’m from Germany, I play football.’ They looked at me like I was crazy. But I got offered some scholarships. (He took one from N.C. State and played there.)

“Four-and-a-half years later, I’m the first German ever invited to the Scouting Combine. I got drafted by the Giants and played in the league for four years. I accomplished way more in football than I ever thought I would. Now, seeing the growth of the game back home, so many kids playing flag football and loving the game, seeing the growth of the game on TV … Now the NFL sending its biggest star to play a game here.

“Goosebumps,” Kuhn said. “I’ve got goosebumps thinking about it.”

Top NFL German players ever: Markus Kuhn

 

Associated Press | American Football | 11/09/2022

By Ken Maguire

 

MUNICH (AP) — Germany’s influence on the NFL dates back to the league’s early days when the Nesser brothers played for the Columbus Panhandles.

The NFL maintains a list of 84 players who were born in Germany and played at least one regular-season game.

Many of them, however, lived just a few years in Germany and grew up in the United States — such as the Nesser brothers and Hall of Fame defensive lineman Ernie Stautner.

 

Pipelines into the league today include the International Player Pathway program, as well as the traditional route of U.S. colleges.

Young European players now go on summer tours and compete against top Americans at high-profile clinics.

German players tend to lead the way among the Europeans earning Division I scholarships. German defensive lineman Hero Kanu was heavily recruited and chose Ohio State.

 

They don’t always pan out at the highest level. Wide receiver Moritz Böhringer had no U.S. high school or college experience when the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the sixth round in 2016. He made it to the practice squad.

 

With the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Germany on Sunday, here’s a look at some of the German born-and-raised players who have made an impact.

MARKUS KUHN

New England Patriots defensive lineman Markus Kuhn (94) walks on the field during an NFL football training camp practice Saturday, July 30, 2016, in Foxborough, Mass. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

The defensive tackle’s four-year NFL career with the New York Giants was highlighted by a touchdown he scored after a fumble recovery against the Tennessee Titans in 2014.

The Giants selected the Weinheim native in the seventh round of the 2012 NFL draft. Kuhn tore his ACL in his rookie year and played 39 games in total. Kuhn is now a popular commentator in Germany.

Markus Kuhn’s 9 year NFL Draft Anniversary

 

NFL’s German social channel celebrates the 9 year anniversary of Markus Kuhn’s Draft Day.

Former Giants DL Markus Kuhn broadcasting NFL games to Germany

SPORTSFOOTBALLGIANTS

Markus Kuhn of the Giants warms up before playing against the Jets at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, August 18, 2012. Credit: Jim McIsaac

By Tom Rocktom.rock@newsday.com  @TomRock_NewsdayUpdated December 7, 2019 4:59 PM

Seid ihr bereit für etwas football?

If you can understand that question (translation: Are you ready for some football?) and answer in the affirmative, then Markus Kuhn is your guy.

The former Giants defensive lineman who once even scored a touchdown in a regular-season game has become one of the main voices of the NFL. In Germany and neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland, anyway.

Giants defensive tackle Markus Kuhn looks on from the field during the second day of minicamp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.  Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke

Kuhn and fellow German-born NFL player Sebastian Vollmer broadcast some of the biggest games from the U.S. back to Europe for the streaming service DAZN, covering and in some instances introducing the sport to about 20 millions fans there each week.

They’ve covered Super Bowls. They’re covering this weekend’s Patriots-Chiefs game. They cover every Monday Night Football game. And on Monday, they’ll be covering the Giants and the Eagles.

“We’re obviously not learned broadcasters or commentators,” Kuhn said. “We’re just able to give a new fan base a completely different perspective to the game. The way we do our broadcast is obviously very different than the American ones.”

Right down to the fact that, usually, they aren’t even at the games. While they do travel for on-site broadcasts of playoff games and will be in Foxborough for the Patriots-Chiefs tilt, their Monday night show comes from a small studio in Miami. There, Kuhn and Vollmer sit in front of a bank of television screens and talk football in their native language.

More importantly, they talk in a style that a German sports audience can relate.

“We know certain background stories of the players that are more interesting to our fans than maybe saying if they were playing cover-2 or what exactly was the run scheme behind the play or the name of the blitz,” Kuhn said. “That’s maybe for fans at the next level. We’re just explaining the players’ background stories and from our experience we can explain the feelings of how it is to actually be an American football player. I think that’s what comes across in our broadcasts really nicely.”

The NFL loves it, and Kuhn and Vollmer are a big part of the league’s recent efforts to push into the German-speaking market.

Former Giants player Markus Kuhn, right, and former Patriots player Sebastian Vollmer, left, are now broadcasting NFL games back to Germany, one of the NFL's priority countries in terms of growing the sport internationally. They will call the Giants-Eagles game on Monday Night (Dec. 9, 2019). Credit: Markus Kuhn

“Having those guys definitely helps,” said Henry Hodgson, NFL vice president of international marketing and fan development. “It helps fans and potential fans see that it isn’t just a foreign sport and that some of their own, people they can identify with perhaps more easily like Markus and Sebastian, are involved in it. It adds a level of expertise to the broadcast teams for our partners there.”

American football always has had firm footing in Germany. Many believe it stems from the large U.S. military presence there (Hall of Famer Michael Strahan spent time on an army base in Germany during his childhood). The GFL, or German Football League, is one of the top semi-pro organizations outside North America in terms of both organization and talent (it’s where Kuhn got his start with the sport). When NFL Europe folded about a decade ago, five of the last six remaining teams were based in Germany.

But it wasn’t until recently that the league put renewed efforts into growing the sport there.

“We knew we had a latent fan base, we just hadn’t done much to serve it until two or three years ago, when we really got back into the market and tried to reignite things both with our TV partners and then with some of the other initiatives we’ve done,” Hodgson said. “Germany has been a great story for us.”

Kuhn is one of the storytellers.

It’s not something the 33-year-old ever envisioned for himself. He came to the United States to play football at North Carolina State, was drafted by the Giants, for whom he played for four seasons, spent some time with the Patriots, then was out of the league. In 2017 he announced his retirement. From playing, anyway.

“For me, being in the NFL and making it that far was very unrealistic with my background and how I was introduced to it,” he said. “But this is the sport I fell in love with and New York is what I consider my home. My wife works and lives here as well. So it made sense for me after I was done playing to move back to New York.”

He enrolled at Columbia University (he received a master’s degree in sports management this spring), but found he was being asked to appear in a lot of German-speaking broadcasts. Usually he was just brought in as an “expert” for a few words or some analysis, but that grew into more regular platforms. Soon he and Vollmer, the former Patriots offensive lineman, were broadcasting Patriots preseason games back to Germany. With a hunger for such programming, that blossomed into them covering all of the Monday night games. They’ve been doing that since last season.

So he flies to Miami from New York every Monday, covers the games with Vollmer, records a German-language podcast with Vollmer on Tuesday, then flies back home.

As for covering the Giants, Kuhn makes no apologies for any allegiances that come out in his coverage.

“Being a former Giant I was probably a little bit biased and not completely independent,” he said of his take on the Giants-Cowboys game on a Monday night last month. “You hear the fans saying ‘Markus is very biased!’ But then the same thing when we broadcast a Patriots game, Sebastian is a little bit more biased. We are not independent commentators, we are former players, we are also fans of the game, so especially when the Giants play I am obviously rooting for them to win the game and that comes across in the broadcast. But it’s also part of us being unique in our jobs that we have teams that we like and we have teams that we don’t like. Maybe some viewers or listeners don’t really like that, but I think overall it comes across as funny.”

The two players routinely jab at each other. Vollmer will tout his two Super Bowl rings he won with the Patriots. Kuhn will brag about being the first – and still only – German player to score an NFL touchdown. They tangle about offense versus defense. Kuhn handles more of the play-by-play, but essentially their booth consists of two color commentators rather than the traditional pairings that American audiences are used to.

“The way that sports are presented in Germany is a little different than in the U.S.,” Hodgson said. “It’s a little bit more lighthearted so I know they have a lot of fun doing it and having spent time with the two of them together they have a great relationship. That camaraderie and fun the two guys have comes out in their broadcast partnership when they are in the booth together.”

So what makes Kuhn the unlikely yet ideal person for this job?

“I’ve been an outsider to the sport, so my perspective to the sport is completely different,” Kuhn said. “That’s why I can explain it to a new fan base in a completely different way. I know what interests them a little more compared to someone who grew up with the sport. I know that the things I first thought about football were very unique and different.

“Who can really tell about the sport better than somebody from Germany who has lived the American football life?”

NFL overseas: Why Germany could be the league's next big market

NFL

Published 1 day ago

By Jason Schott FOXBusiness

 

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The NFL’s annual London Games kick off next weekend at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. While the league has made that city a focus for over a decade, one broadcaster says the NFL is making big inroads in another European market: Germany.

It's all thanks to a handful of German players breaking into the league, games being available on over-the-top streaming provider DAZN, social media outreach from teams like the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, and fantasy games.

Markus Kuhn, who played four years for the New York Giants, broadcasts Monday Night Football in German with Sebastian Vollmer, who won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, where he played seven years.

"People really take in American football on a whole 'nother level," Khun said. "It’s crazy to see how Germany is all about American football lately."

In this Sept. 22, 2019, file photo, Arizona Cardinals' David Johnson (31) is stopped by the Carolina Panthers defense in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)

"Of course, there’s a time difference, so people sometimes have to watch in the middle of the night, but the viewership is really going through the roof, and starting this year, we work with DAZN, who has the rights for Thursday night, Sunday night, and Monday night," he said.

Viewers are able to have access to those games for the following three days on DAZN.

The fact that Germany could follow two of their own in the NFL – Kuhn grew up in Mannheim and Vollmer was born in Kaarst – changed interest dramatically.

“Before, you would never read a score in a local German newspaper,” said Khun. “But now, since there was a connection point to a German athlete that’s playing, you just also start reading - not only for rights holders, but in the general public - like ‘hey, the Giants did this in this game,’ I mean, when I scored a touchdown in the NFL, it was even surprising to me, I was on the cover of a lot of newspapers, and my mom was even surprised. Then Sebastian, obviously winning the Super Bowl, he came a lot more into the foreground, a lot about his accomplishments.”

The league has been discussing opening up foreign markets to NFL teams, using the template used by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who play across the pond every year, Sports Business Journal reported recently.

Kuhn was on the call for Super Bowls 50 and 51, as well as commenting on free TV before he and Vollmer teamed up for MNF, which they broadcast from a DAXN studio in Miami. They also have teamed up on German broadcasts of New England Patriots games, with the team signaling the potential they see there.

“The Patriots see Germany as the big market, and they want to lead that market,” says Kuhn. “They’re doing a lot for Germany - they’re very progressive; so me and Sebastian, for the last three years, we broadcasted all their preseason games for Patriots.com, and they did the same thing for Mexico with a Spanish feed, and I think they even – for the first time – had a Chinese feed. Mexico is about an hour time-difference compared to East Coast time, and Germany is six hours ahead, and they were all even (in viewership) in games, and we had more viewers over there stream on Patriots.com than Mexico had.”

Kuhn and Vollmer also host an NFL podcast, which they brought to the biggest German newspaper, BILD. It quickly became the number-one overall podcast in Germany. “That’s pretty impressive; it shows people are eating up football content."

Fantasy sports company Fan Hub Media – which promises to “make the big game your game” on its website – operates two NFL games in Germany with Prosieben – NFL Fantasy and an NFL Pick ‘Em game.

“The NFL has used fantasy games and casual gaming in the international markets to educate the audience,” said Phillip DeWinter, vice president of the Americas for Fan Hub Media. “I think one of the challenges the NFL has as they expand internationally is, you know, it’s hard to educate the fans on what the NFL is. Soccer, everyone understands; football is a little bit harder, so you need the casual game to educate fans and teach them the rules, teach them and the players, teach them about the teams."

“I think gambling is a very exciting space for the NFL in terms of revenue streams, so I think as they go into international markets, there are many different opportunities,” DeWinter said. “They recently announced a major catapult into Australia, and no surprise, see how it goes internationally and then – if it works and it’s proven - bring it to the US and really commercialize  it.”

Kuhn sees the country as worthy of hosting a game someday.

"Whatever is going on in London right now, they could be doing in Germany," he said.

Patriots training camp: Markus Kuhn could have major impact on defensive line

The Patriots signed defensive tackle Markus Kuhn to a one-year contract in April. The Associated Press

By Rich Garven

August 23, 2016

FOXBORO — The Patriots’ signing of defensive tackle Markus Kuhn to a one-year deal for nominal money in early April was viewed as a minor move. It’s potentially shaping up as one that could pay off handsomely.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Kuhn has impressed from the start of training camp and, although he’s listed with the backups on the depth chart, has spent plenty of time paired with surefire starter Malcom Brown and the rest of the first-string defense this summer.

Not that he’s putting much stock in those quality reps.

“Honestly, that’s nothing I really think about when the coach says, ‘Markus, you’re up or you’re down,’ ” Kuhn recently said. “We’re in camp right now and we’re all rotating, we’re moving around a lot. So I don’t think that’s something to read too much into.”

Kuhn wasn’t in on any tackles in the Patriots’ preseason-opening win over the New Orleans Saints, but he did play quite a few snaps. He got the start, made one tackle and once again saw a healthy dose of action in a win over the Chicago Bears last week at Gillette Stadium.

The fifth-year pro has taken a pragmatic approach to his preseason performances.

“There are always things you can improve on; that’s what the preseason is for,” Kuhn said. “Some things you do on tape that you like or maybe you don’t like so much. So that’s what you try to do, correct those mistakes and maybe be better the next game.”

He’ll have that opportunity beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday when the Patriots face the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.

Kuhn, 30, was born and raised in Mannheim, Germany, a city of about 300,000 located in the southern part of the country near the French border. He started playing American football when he was 15 and ultimately landed a scholarship to North Carolina State after visiting the school in person and successfully drawing the attention of the coaching staff.

Although he only started one season for the Wolfpack, the New York Giants selected Kuhn in the seventh round with the 239th overall pick in 2012. The draft ended 14 picks later.

Kuhn was a longshot to make the Giants as a rookie, but he went on to spend four seasons in New York. He appeared in 39 games, making 10 starts and recording 48 tackles.

In 2014, Kuhn recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown in a win over the Tennessee Titans in early December. That made him the first German-born player to score a touchdown in NFL history.

While Kuhn is proud to have carved out a spot for himself in New York, his focus now is doing the same in New England.

“The Giants were the team that drafted me, I was there for four years,” said Kuhn, who is fluent in English. “But I’m with a new team; there are new things I’m trying to learn. I’m trying to be open to the way they play here and that’s what I’m focused on right now.”

Among other things, the Patriots have worked Kuhn as a nose tackle in a three-man front. That’s something he wasn’t asked to do with the Giants.

“Here what we play, sometimes I line up over the center,” Kuhn said. “These are the little things that I’m getting used to and I’m playing differently. But we rotate a lot and I’m just getting thrown in there and working with pretty much everybody.”

The expectation is the Patriots will keep four defensive tackles when they make the final round of cuts Sept. 3.

Brown, veteran Alan Branch and rookie Vincent Valentine, a third-round pick, appear to be assured of spots. That leaves Kuhn, the rising Anthony Johnson and the fading Terrance Knighton, who also signed a one-year deal in the offseason, as the leading contenders for the final spot.

It remains to be seen who’ll emerge from that tight competition, but the Patriots have liked what they’ve seen thus far from Kuhn.

“(He’s a) really good kid, smart, works hard, in good condition, seems to be able to go without any problems at all in terms of his stamina or conditioning,” coach Bill Belichick said. “He’s in good shape. Technique-wise, there are some things he needs to continue to work on but he is (working on them). He works hard. I’m glad we have him.”

And it just may be the minor move the Patriots made in signing Kuhn in April could have a major impact come September.

NY Giants provide star power at Animal Shelter fundraiser

By Art Schwartz

May 3, 2015


Three members of the New York Giants football team brought their star power to the recent fundraiser for the Secaucus Animal Shelter. The Harmon Cove Clubhouse was packed for the afternoon as the three “good sports” met and mingled with fans.

“These guys are great,” said Councilwoman Susan Pirro, the town’s liaison with the shelter. “It was a great, great afternoon. We had a very good turnout.”

“When we come out it usually draws a bigger crowd, and if you have a bigger crowd it draws more attention to the cause. Hopefully we’ll get some of these guys adopted here,” said defensive tackle Markus Kuhn, referring to the five dogs brought along by the shelter for adoption.

Kuhn heard about the event from his girlfriend, Hoboken resident Alyssa Fasciano. “We’re big into animal support,” said Kuhn. “We have a dog. We both don’t eat meat.”

“There are so many beautiful dogs in shelters dying every day,” said Fasciano. “They’re being put down. Luckily now there are a lot of no-kill shelters.”

The Secaucus Animal Shelter is a no-kill facility. Over the years they have expanded from a local shelter to an interstate one, accepting animals from overwhelmed shelters in southern states, and finding them homes in New Jersey.

“It’s a huge responsibility,” said Kuhn. “It’s not an impulse buy, like ‘Oh, I like those shoes’ or ‘I like that bag’ or ‘I like that t-shirt.’ It’s like having a kid all of a sudden. Hopefully they’re staying adopted and people are taking great care of their dogs.”

Also attended the event were Giants linebacker Devon Kennard and running back Andre Williams.

New isolation building needed

The event was put together by Secaucus realtors Re/Max Infinity. Hundreds of people attended, according to Re/Max co-owner Rhoda Traum. “We never have this kind of outpouring,” she said. “Ever. I know a lot of people because I live here but I didn’t know half of them. We made a ton of money for the shelter.”

The goal of the event was to raise money to replace the animal shelter’s isolation room, which had deteriorated to the point of unusability. The isolation room is used for sick animals and for those coming into the shelter. Before animals are introduced to the resident population they must be checked out by a veterinarian and their health confirmed.

When the event wrapped up, the organizers had taken in close to $4,000, with a few more donations still pending. Applications for adoption had been taken out on four of the five dogs brought to the event.

_____________
“When we come out it usually draws a bigger crowd, and if you have a bigger crowd it draws more attention to the cause.” –NY Giant Markus Kuhn
____________

The same weekend that the event took place, the old isolation building was demolished. Work began on a replacement but soon hit a snag.

“The guys were ready to start the foundation and they hit something really hard,” said Councilwoman Susan Pirro, the town’s liaison with the shelter. “We may have hit some kind of bedrock. So we may redo the concept of what we’re going to do there. We still need an isolation building but we may be looking into a pre-fab where we just drop it in place and then customize it ourselves.”

Currently a trailer has been set up on the premises for isolation use until a permanent building can be completed.

Puppy power

In addition to the celebrities, the event featured free food and drink, a DJ, and a wide array of raffle prizes. Many local vendors and restaurants donated gifts, including a big screen TV, a mini iPad, and coupons for fine dining.

“I’m very excited,” said Chris Conte, manager of the shelter, about the turnout for the event. Although the shelter also houses kittens, none were brought out for the day. “We have tons of them now but they’re three weeks old, four weeks old. We took them out last week and I think they got a little cold.”

The dogs, however, were the true stars of the afternoon. Kids swooned over them. Adults hugged them and filled out adoption applications.

Jess Lombardi came from Verona to check out the event and fell in love with a boxer mix about a year old. She completed the paperwork and was ready to take the pup home as soon as she cleared one last hurdle. “We rent and we’re waiting to get approved for the okay from our leasing company,” she said.

Secaucus resident Thea Isabella and her daughter Giulia came not to adopt, but just to enjoy the day, bringing along their five-year-old French Bulldog Lulu to join in the fun. “She’s a rescue too,” said Thea. “So we’re here to support. It’s a great cause. My daughter’s an animal lover.”