The Vikings' homecoming game Friday, Sept. 18, doubles as a fundraiser for Santa Monica school athletics, with a rooftop tailgate and a $25,000 matching challenge running through Sept. 24.

The Santa Monica Education Foundation (SMEF) and the Tyler Skaggs Foundation are co-hosting the Samohi Legacy Tailgate at the Exploration Building rooftop at Santa Monica High School. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the Vikings kick off against Gardena High School at 7 p.m. The event is 21-and-over only, and tickets are limited.

Attendees can watch the game from the rooftop or from reserved end-zone seating. The evening includes BBQ, drinks and desserts, according to the Tyler Skaggs Foundation's Instagram page.

The tailgate honors the legacy of Tyler Skaggs, the former Samohi pitcher selected by the Los Angeles Angels with a supplemental first-round pick in the 2009 MLB draft. Skaggs grew up in Santa Monica, attending Roosevelt Elementary, Lincoln Middle School and Santa Monica High. He died July 1, 2019, at age 27. His wife, Carli Skaggs, now leads the foundation as president and CEO.

Tyler's mother, Debbie Skaggs, has taught physical education at Santa Monica High since 1987. She coached the women's varsity softball team for 27 years, winning CIF championships in 2010 and 2014. On the foundation's website, she described her son's approach to community: "If someone asked him to help out with something, he always went."

Separately, a dollar-for-dollar matching challenge runs through Thursday, Sept. 24. Corporate sponsor Kindo is matching every donation to SMEF up to $25,000, according to a Roosevelt Elementary PTA announcement. This year's fundraising expands beyond the foundation's traditional focus on academics and arts to include competitive athletics at Santa Monica middle schools and Samohi.

SMEF, founded in 1982, has raised more than $38 million for Santa Monica public schools. During the 2025–26 school year, the district's middle school athletics program recorded 934 students across 406 competitive team placements, according to the foundation's athletics page.

The Vikings enter Friday's homecoming riding momentum. Samohi opened the season with a 38-0 shutout of Burroughs on Sept. 4, the Samohi student paper reported. The Vikings followed with a 22-15 come-from-behind road win over Norte Vista on Sept. 12, where Jacob Feldman sealed the victory with a late interception, according to the Santa Monica Sun.

Kickoff against Gardena is 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at Santa Monica High School.