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Folks in Reading, Pennsylvania, take their snack foods pretty seriously. Well, at least their pretzels — and rightfully so, given that the city is the reigning pretzel capital of the world.

As the home of Albright College, football is a big deal in Reading, too, and once a year, the Pretzel Bowl is more than the dish on the top right shelf in the cabinet next to the sink. It’s an opportunity for the city, the Albright athletics department, and especially the football program to distinguish itself in yet another way as part of the Shriners’ mission to assist disabled children.

The tradition of the Pretzel Bowl extends back more than half a century. Though not quite as mature as its namesake pretzel — which has been a part of Pennsylvania state history and culture since the 1860s — people are just as hungry for the 56th annual Rajah Shrine Pretzel Bowl set for later this month.

In its heyday in the 1960s, the Pretzel Bowl was huge, drawing 8,000 to 10,000 fans — not only to the game but also to the circus-like atmosphere surrounding the event. Steve George, an Albright graduate, four-year football student-athlete and current director of athletics at the school, has experienced firsthand the pageantry and enthusiasm the game created with music, clowns, a parade and the naming of a king and queen. But all the glitz doesn’t hide the Pretzel Bowl’s primary purpose, which is to raise money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The next chapter in the proud history of the Pretzel Bowl will be scripted September 30 when the Albright Lions take on the Juniata College Eagles at Albright’s Gene Shirk Stadium to support a cause that has generated more than $2 million since it began in 1951.

Tickets for the game are budget-friendly at just $5 each. All proceeds from the event benefit the Shriners organization, which operates 22 hospitals, including one facility in Canada and another in Mexico. Most of the Shriners hospitals provide orthopedic care, while three also treat spinal-cord injuries and three are exclusively burn-treatment centers. Care at the facilities is provided for children up to the age of 18 at no cost to families or guardians. The Shriners’ outreach includes any required surgery, prosthetics and, in the case of burn victims, any special garments and skin grafts required. The organization also provides transportation to and from the hospital and, when necessary, overnight lodging and meals.

While Albright’s Pretzel Bowl opponents change from year to year, the chance to assist the Shriners’ mission remains steady for a person like George, who was a member of the football team from 1964 to 1968. As senior and co-captain of the team in 1967, he said one of his favorite Pretzel Bowl memories was the coin toss that year.

"They had the Shriners representatives and the Shriners children out there and just to see them smile, it sticks out in your mind," said George. "For me — and we try to get this through to players, too — it is so special because we get to see how fortunate we are to play the game. Some people can’t walk and will never walk in their entire lives. It sort of puts things into perspective."

George said the seniors help the younger players realize the importance of the game. "Back then, when you were a freshman, you were a freshman. What the seniors said, you listened to, and they imparted to us that this was a very special thing because of the opportunity we had to play for the less fortunate. We were healthy. We were athletes."

The Shriners’ Clyde Geist, who is in his second year as chair of the event, said other activities are planned before and during the game. Rajah Shrine units will participate in a pregame parade around the stadium and the Reading (Pennsylvania) High School and Rajah Shrine Bands will perform at halftime. The 2006 Pretzel Bowl queen, 11-year-old Rachel N. Anderson, also will be presented as part of the halftime entertainment. Anderson, who sustained second- and third-degree burns when she was three, has received critical treatment through the Shriners and provides a real-life reminder of the game’s purpose.

"We feel it’s very important, of course, to raise money for the children," said Geist. "That’s why we do it."