BY LORI RAUDIO

As a part of BGSU’s Sport Management Alliance, I received the opportunity to volunteer at Super Bowl 47. The atmosphere in New Orleans was electric, and I got firsthand experience at helping to run one of the biggest events in sport. One of the events that our group volunteered at was the NFL Tailgate on Sunday.

The NFL Tailgate was an invitation-only party held prior to the big game. Representatives from every NFL team were present, as well as many athletes and celebrities. Our job was to distribute a gift, Tailgate Mardi Gras beads, to every guest as they entered. Some of the notable guests I saw included Cal Ripken Jr, Shawn Johnson, Michael Phelps, and Dr. Oz. There were also many media personnel there, including reporters from CBS.

The event was held in two large tents and a parking garage, which had been carpeted and decorated in the Mardi Gras theme. Guests enjoyed local New Orleans cuisine in a garden-like seating area with fountains and trees. There was also live jazz music, costumed performers, concerts from One Republic and Matchbox Twenty, live alligators, and much more. The coordinator said the event took over a year to plan.

It was amazing to be part of such a large-scale event. It ran very smoothly, and every detail was planned to a tee. I can’t believe I got to be a part of this event and Super Bowl 47. I will never forget the experiences I had and the people I met. The tailgate event was one of the highlights of my weekend, ranking only after seeing a few of my favorite athletes, Eli and Peyton Manning.