UNLV fans Kim Le, front left, and Maria Arroyo join Tuan Nguyen, back row from left, Suzanne Westlake, Celeste Maglan, Dan Le, Quyen Tong and Alex Ramirez at a tailgate party Saturday. Photos by Dorothy Huffey. UNR alum Julie Schrieber Thompson, front from left, chats with UNLV alums Nicole Cerbero, Marieugenial Vazquez and David Moses, as well as UNR fans Chris Thompson, back from left, and Neil Huffey. Cathleen Cobb, from left, Bill Cobb and Sandra Litton gather before the big game. Photo by Dorothy Huffey Jaymie Morris shows her loyalty to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas during a tailgate party Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium. UNR President Milton Glick and his wife, Peggy, attend tailgate parties before the game.

A $15 million gift from the Engelstad Foundation was the highlight of the third annual summer's end beach party benefiting the Nevada Cancer Institute.

The event in mid-September at the Red Rock Country Club home of Joan and Jim Hammer raised more than $17.8 million in all.

Trustee Jeff Cooper and Engelstad family members Kris and Tim McGarry represented the foundation in awarding the gift for a lung cancer program at the institute.

The summer's end beach party has raised more than $35 million in its short existence, thanks to the efforts of the Hammers, who open their home for the elaborate event that this year included music by the Beach Boys and the Bangles.

Open-air trolleys shuttled the 700 guests from the Red Rock Country Club to the Hammer estate where they were greeted with mai tais, steel drums, and tiki god necklaces for the men and orchid leis for the women.

Among the guests were Julie and Mike Gleason, Sally and Corey Morley, Susan and Chris Howard, Cindy and Terry Ono, Susan and Leonard Mardian, Hillary Westrom and John Ritter.

At the home's entrance stood a 50-by-16-foot sand sculpture crafted by eight artists from across the world. The sculpture displayed life-size tiki gods, monkeys, birds and the logo of the Nevada Cancer Institute, and it read "In Remembrance of Dr. John Murren," the late brother of Jim Murren, who with his wife, Heather, founded the institute.

The pool with cascading waterfalls had floating beds in which guests could sit and relax with their feet in the water.

The putting green became the lounge, where Carol and Jack Sheehan, Kelli and Steve Brockman, Julie and Scott Gragson, Renee and Tony Marlon, Kathy and Randy Black, Delise Sartini, and Sue and Barry Becker sat to enjoy sushi and the music.

The upstairs veranda was the Tiki-quilla bar with a Mexican buffet. Around the home were six themed bars decorated in thatching with clublike furniture. Eleven bartenders, including flair bartenders, worked the party through the efforts of Larry Ruvo and Michael Severino of Southern Wine & Spirits.

The food was prepared and served by Bellagio and featured barbecue stations poolside, sushi topside, and American and Mexican stations throughout the venue. Chocolate fountains and ice cream sundaes tantalized even the most discriminating taste buds.

Jack Sheehan served as master of ceremonies. A 15-minute video showed cancer survivors and the benefits of the 1-year-old Nevada Cancer Institute. The Murrens spoke of the financial gifts from the community.

Plasma TVs captured the stage entertainment.

The Bangles began the entertainment with video highlights of the 1990 UNLV championship basketball team, "Walk Like a Tarkanian," played to their hit, "Walk Like an Egyptian." Then the Beach Boys took over the stage and rocked the crowd for two hours.

Partygoers included Winnie and Bob Schulman, Teri and Rollie Sturn, Sen. John Ensign and Darlene Ensign, Sandra and Bill Young, Rhonda and Mike Mona, Laurie and Skip Kelp, Kenna and Jeff Cooper, Rene and John O'Reilly, Laura and Troy Herbst, Camille and Larry Ruvo, Garry and Darlynn Goett, Janie and Barry Moore, Sue Sullivan, Chris and Rick Richards, Danny Tarkanian, Carol Sheehan, Monica and Jeff Guinn, Tedi Ann and Ken Templeton, and event planner Tory Cooper.

After the seven-hour party, guests were handed beach buckets with milk and cookies.

Tailgate parties: The University of Nevada, Las Vegas hosted the University of Nevada, Reno football team Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium in the annual Battle for the Fremont Cannon.

More than 38,000 fans created a traffic jam that made many late to the numerous tailgate parties.

Nevertheless, alumni of both universities and die-hard football fans managed to get some party time in prior to the 7 p.m. kickoff.

Star Nursery's grassy field to the north of the stadium was set aside for large sponsored parties, and people could partake of the Rebel Experience for barbecue or food prepared by Outback Restaurant.

A noticeable difference this year were the many families divided over the Rebel-Wolf Pack rivalry resulting from the influx of population and more students attending the university away from their hometown high school.