Philadelphia Racetrack makes provisions

An Eagles fan made headlines when he ran onto the ball field and scattered his mom’s ashes on the 50-yard line during the 2005 Eagles vs.    Packers game.  Though the crowd cheered him on as he scattered the ashes, dropped to his knees and said a prayer in the middle of the field, the officials weren’t as supportive.

They took him into custody, fined him $100 and required 50 hours of community service.

Such unauthorized scatterings are called “wildcat” scatterings in the funeral business.   In today’s world of high security, this type of “free for all” could cause havoc if many people decided to participate in crowded, public arenas.

So, in honor of Philly fans everywhere, we decided to investigate if there was a legitimate way to leave cremated remains of fans.  The short answer is, “No”.
Representatives of both the Phillies and Eagles got back to us saying there were no provisions for this activity.  They didn’t give reasons, simply that there was no special location.  Obviously, they aren’t encouraging it.

However, the Philadelphia Racetrack is another matter.  Long time patrons or others associated with racing can “rest” there.   Family members can arrange matters with the Chaplin and he’ll lead a small ceremony.

(You are legally permitted to bury or scatter cremated remains anywhere on land as long as you have the permission of the property owner.)

Do you think the Phillies and the Eagles should make provisions for their fans?  Share your why or why not in the comments below.

Tags: cremation

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 at 1:55 pm and is filed under General Information. Both comments and pings are currently closed.