Forget the Eagles and the Vikings. They're wimps compared with the Caravati cousins.
The NFL postponed Sunday night's matchup in Philadelphia because of snow, but the late Henry Caravati's extended family braved the storm for the 41st annual Cousins' Christmas Bowl at Mary Munford Elementary School in Richmond.
Since 1969, the cousins produced by Caravati's three sons and six daughters have met the day after Christmas for touch football in a family tradition that brings together cousins from around the country and world.
"This is not about football," said Richard Caravati, 68, the youngest of Henry's children and the undisputed "commissioner" of the cousins' league.
Richard Caravati hails from New Hampshire. Others traveled from as far as Colorado, New York and New Jersey for the holiday festivities, which featured dinner for about 75 on Sunday afternoon at the Fan District home of Richard Ernsberger Jr., editor of Virginia Living. The snow trimmed the dinner list some by canceling the travel plans of cousins in Leesburg.
"I could have stayed up north and gotten this kind of weather," said Terry Ryan, who came from Albany, N.Y., and quarterbacked the green squad with no gloves.
One of Ryan's receivers was 10-year-old Reese Berman, of New Vernon, N.J., who was the youngest player on the field.
"He's been practicing every night for three months," said his mother, Bridget Ryan Berman.
Her mother, Elaine Caravati Ryan, 82, cheered from the sidelines, while the fourth generation of cousins, 7-month-old Avonlea Dutson, stayed out of the cold after traveling to Richmond from Denver.
Only 11 cousins played — including Shelley Williams, the only female on the turf. The full family line totals about 120.
And that's just from Henry's side of the family. He had two brothers, Charles and Lewis, the former a doctor and the latter the founder of Caravati's antiques salvage business in South Richmond.
One of Henry's sons, Charles, was the founder of Dixie Sporting Goods, now run by his sons, Ken and Michael, who both played on Sunday.
Charles Caravati died almost two years ago, and John Ryan, Elaine's husband, passed away at Thanksgiving last year.
"They would love to see that it's still going," said Maureen Ryan Williams.
mmartz@timesdispatch.com
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