The success of Gorham’s Dan Foley on the CBS reality TV show “Survivor” continued last week to the delight of his followers attending his weekly viewing party.
The object of the show is to avoid being voted off by other competitors. Foley, a postal technician, survived six episodes of the show and going into this week’s seventh episode on Wednesday, was still in the running for the $1 million prize as the sole survivor.
“My money is on Dan,” an elated Ruthie Noble, a former deputy Westbrook city clerk, said last week at Binga’s Stadium in Portland, where Foley’s followers gathered to watch the episode.
Filmed in Nicaragua last summer, the current series began with three tribes of six contestants each, but after last week the number has been sliced to 12.
The show airs locally at 8 p.m. on Wednesday after the American Journal deadline.
The 2008 “Survivor” winner, Bob Crowley, and his wife, Peggy, were at Binga’s last week to view the show.
“I think Dan is in a great position,” Crowley, a retired Gorham High School physics teacher, said about Foley’s chances to survive. “His good old Maine-Irish personality is coming out.”
Anticipation and excitement are building as the show progresses. Last week, two Foley fans – Mandy Sugzdinis and Mary Stone – drove from Philadelphia to Portland for the viewing party.
“We drove all night,” Sugzdinis said.
Stone said they had met Foley three years ago at a live casting call for the show in Atlantic City and are friends on Facebook.
The viewing parties have attracted a multitude of local fans, too. An excited Noble met Foley for the first time last week, as did Maine entertainer Randy Judkins.
At the parties, Foley signs autographs and accommodates fans snapping photos. Crowley expected another out-of-state turnout of fans at this week’s showing at Thatcher’s Restaurant in South Portland.
In last week’s episode, Foley’s blue-collar Escameca Tribe was pitted against the Nagarote Tribe in a re-shuffling that eliminated the white-collar Masaya Tribe.
In a strategy move, Foley sat out the challenge for rewards but performed well in the immunity challenge. Some Escameca tribal members plotted to throw the challenge won by Nagarote but Foley didn’t go along with the plot.
“I refused to do it,” Foley told the crowd at the viewing party.
The plot was to protect someone on the Nagarote Tribe. But it meant Escameca was sentenced to the tribal council. The move also protected Sierra, Foley’s tribal member, and sent home another, who Foley wanted gone.
Crowley thought strategically it was a good reason to throw the challenge and believed the tactic was a “’Survivor’ first.”
“I don’t ever remember throwing a challenge to save someone on another tribe,” Crowley said.
In the end, Foley had survived another episode and was cheered and applauded at Binga’s.
“Way to go, Dan,” a fan, Jan Sullivan of Portland, shouted out.
Following last week’s action, all surviving contestants will be on one team.
“It’s merger time, baby,” Foley told the crowd.
Gorham’s “Survivor” contestant Dan Foley stays on the reality show following last week’s sixth episode. Celebrating are, from left, Chuck McCatherin of Falmouth; Ruthie Noble, former Westbrook deputy city clerk; Foley; and Maine entertainer Randy Judkins.Staff photo by Robert LowellSend questions/comments to the editors.
