Q: When did the Thanksgiving Day game between the Georgia Tech and Georgia freshmen teams begin and when was it discontinued?
—Pat Brannon, Duluth
A: Freshmen and junior varsity teams from Georgia and Georgia Tech played every year between 1933 and 1993 (except 1943-44) to benefit the Scottish Rite Children's Medical Center. The facility, called the Scottish Rite Convalescent Home for Crippled Children, was running out of funds and about to close when the athletic directors at Georgia and Georgia Tech "decided to play a freshman football game on Thanksgiving Day to see if they could help out," Shelton Stevens, senior development officer for the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, told Q&A on the News in an email.
“They had no idea what it would generate. It was such a huge success that for the next 20 or so years, the proceeds from this game actually met the net operating expenses of this little charity hospital and kept it operational to serve the children of our community and state.” Freshmen originally played in the game, but the Thanksgiving Day Scottish Rite Football Classic switched to junior varsity teams when freshmen became eligible in 1972.
Q: Is Town Center Mall fining any small businesses that aren’t opening on Thanksgiving Day since all the major stores are opening that day?
—Toni Wickham, Acworth
A: Simon Property Group, which manages Town Center at Cobb, "does not fine or penalize tenants who choose not to open on Thanksgiving," a spokeswoman told Q&A on the News in an email. That rule applies to all Simon properties in the Atlanta market, she wrote.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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