It’s GO Time: Former East parents Sarah Clark and Tory Krebs go to every home Chiefs game and host tailgates from their RV

Former East parents Tory Krebs and Sarah Clark have a game day schedule:

Pull out of the driveway in Ruthie the RV at midnight before a Chiefs game. Stop at the Everyday Mart at 63rd Street and Hardesty to buy a lottery ticket on the way.

The RV is parked in line at gate 5 just outside Arrowhead Stadium hours before the gates even open and the two sleep — or at least try to — in the cramped RV surrounded by Crockpots and other pre-prepared food until 6 a.m. when the tailgate festivities begin.

Besides running All Things Athletic — East’s school spirit store — Sarah and Tory keep up the tradition of driving their RV to every home Chiefs game for a tailgate, a tradition passed on from fellow Chiefs fans and close family friends Bret and Melanie Weaver.

While Tory and Sarah expanded the tradition, Ruthie was born 20 years earlier, long before the Chiefs held their two most recent Super Bowl titles.

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Bret and Melanie Weaver first bought Chiefs season tickets after moving to Kansas City in 2001. After a few years of attending tailgates and cheering on the team, the two fell in love with their adopted home team.

At games, Bret began to notice the vans and trucks, setting up the tailgates before a game.

“I said, ‘Well, I’m going to do that when I retire’,” Bret said. “And Melanie said, ‘Well, what are you waiting for?’ And finally we bit the bullet and bought an old RV.”

After the seats were recovered in bright red faux leather, red and yellow stripes were painted on the sides and TVs were installed for much necessary pre-game footage — the RV was ready to go.

Since buying the RV from the Weavers in 2018 Sarah and Tory have kept up with tradition. Families in the “gate 5 crew” blast loud music early in the morning and someone cooks bacon and eggs for breakfast.

“We’ve seen a lot of really crazy stuff in line waiting for the gate to open,” Tory said. “We’ve seen a family at [5 a.m.] have a Pringles can chugging contest.”

When the gates open four hours before the games, every single car, truck and even RV makes a mad dash to get to their “designated” spot. For Ruthie, that spot is F-22. 

In all of their years of tailgating they’ve never missed their parking spot. The same RV has been parked in the same spot for every single home chiefs game for the past 20 years under the superstition that bad things will happen to the team if they’re parked anywhere else. In case of an emergency (someone else takes their parking spot), the pair keeps a $100 bill in the glove box ready to bribe anyone unaware of their unofficial spot.

The two have driven the red-and-yellow-striped RV in the rain, snow or during Christmas and Thanksgiving — hosting a massive tailgate.

A few days before the game the two send an email to nearly 100 people, an invite to their next tailgate. Guests must RSVP before the game and pay $40 for food expenses.

Tory and Sarah spend nearly $2,000 each week on game day food and two days prepping everything in advance from tacos to burgers for an easy set up for guests. And when the tailgaters arrive a couple hours before the game and find their way to parking spot F-22 at the front of the lot, the entire tailgate is set up. Food, tent, games and all.

“It’s like a full-service tailgate, just like going to a restaurant,” Tory said.

Sarah and Tory welcome any new guests and even fans of the opposing team, upholding the accepting, fun reputation of the tailgating community and invite anyone to sign the Chiefs red bathroom door of the RV in sharpie.

“Everybody that we bring to the stadium that’s never been there before can’t believe how fun it is,” Tory said. “I don’t know if that’s because their stadium doesn’t allow tailgating like Arrowhead does or their fans aren’t as generous and kind, but I’ve never heard anybody say they haven’t had a great time at Arrowhead.”