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Phoenix, Ariz. – As the New York Giants and the New England Patriots get ready to face off at Super Bowl XLII this Sunday, Arizona AmeriCorps members are already scoring points off the field – by recruiting more Americans into service.
AmeriCorps members kicked off a four-day recruitment blitz today at the Outdoor Recreation Village in Glendale, where more than 100,000 Super Bowl fans and local residents are expected to visit in the days leading up to the big game. The Village, organized by the American Recreation Coalition, showcases America’s diverse outdoor recreation opportunities and includes a 60-foot fish tank, climbing wall, outdoor product displays, presentations from park, forest, and refuge managers, and volunteer sign-up opportunities.
Visitors to the Village will have the chance to learn about AmeriCorps, volunteer through the Take Pride in America program, or find other service opportunities through USA Freedom Corps. In addition to AmeriCorps members sharing their stories at their booth and on stage, an 8-minute video featuring Senior Corps, Learn and Serve America, and other national service programs will show repeatedly over the four days.
“Americans love football, and they love to serve, but some don’t know how to get involved or don’t think they have the time,” said Bob Shogren, Director of the Arizona Governor's Commission on Service and Volunteerism, who organized the national service booth. “By being here, we’re hoping to get more people off the sidelines and into action, making a difference through service.”
The AmeriCorps team at the Super Bowl consists of members from two programs, the Coconino Rural Environment Corps and Guadalupe Youth and Young Adult AmeriCorps program. “As an AmeriCorps member I have discovered my love of giving back to my community through service,” said Edward Verdugo, who’s in his second year serving with the Guadalupe YYAP. “It’s an honor to share my experience as an AmeriCorps member, and the Super Bowl will give me a chance to tell my story to lots of people." The volunteer spirit has been strong around the Super Bowl. The host committee met its goal of recruiting and training 10,000 volunteers from the community to serve in various Super Bowl related capacities. The big game has generated another volunteer effort – this one led by students. The Souper Bowl of Caring is a national effort to transform Super Bowl weekend into a youth-led weekend of giving and serving. The initiative began in 1990, and since then more than $41 million has been generated for charities that help people in need.
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation engages four million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America programs. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.
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