This week, countless visitors, in numbers possibly exceeding a million, have flocked to Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII. Though many of them come with the intention of seeing the game, fans also attended other events in the city. This includes Super Bowl Live, a free event in Centennial Olympic Park. Outside of the park, the sound of loud music and hordes of Patriots fans competed with enthusiastic, microphoned street preachers and newscasters. Inside, there were many attractions: booths, live bands, and games for fans of all ages and backgrounds. The event hosted many companies hoping to promote their brand to Atlanta’s visitors and residents. Ford had a VR experience, Hyundai boasted a foam pit, and the Kennedy Space Center displayed a Mars travel concept vehicle. Photo opportunities abounded, from a giant replica of the Lombardi Trophy to cheerleader meet and greets. When we asked a volunteer what she would recommend, she responded with “Beer and food are that way.” Bud Light had established its presence as a sponsor, as had Tostitos. The area was flooded with white-coated volunteers; over 2,000 of them directed people, greeted guests, and gave directions. I interviewed one of them about her experience. Her energy and knowledge of the city of Atlanta made her an ideal candidate.
HerCampus: Hello, would you please introduce yourself?
Kristen Delea: My name is Kristen Delea.
HC: And what do you do?
KD: I work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
HC: How did you end up volunteering?
KD: I volunteer at a lot of different events around Atlanta and I heard on the radio they were looking for volunteers, so I went to the website and I signed up. It seemed really cool and a good way to get out and see what’s going on with the Super Bowl and meet new people.
HC: What do you think are the best and worst parts of volunteering at the Super Bowl?
KD: I think the best part is just hanging out with people and seeing all the people coming from all the different places. I met a football player last night, Christian Kerksey. He’s from the Cleveland Browns, and he’s here in town to win an award [Kerksey is the Browns nominee for the 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year]. He’s one of the up-and-coming players, so that was pretty cool. He talked to us for like five minutes. And then just [working with] different people and meeting new people that are here from Atlanta. Worst part? Probably [that] it was a little cold last night and I think it might be a little cold tonight, so not too bad. But I heard people who were out here on Tuesday saying it was really bad, so that’s probably the worst part.
HC: How would you describe your experience?
KD: So far it’s been really good! Like I said, I’ve met a lot of people and it’s fun to see…what’s going on in the city instead of just watching it from the news.
HC: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen?
KD: There’s been actually a lot of weird people that we’ve seen. There was…a guy walking around in skivvy shorts, and that was it. So that was interesting…
HC: Any superfans?
KD: There’s definitely some superfans, and there were some very, very drunk superfans last night, coming back from parties. And they’re the people who, like, lean really close to you as you’re backing up because they’re trying to ask you a question and they’re so drunk they don’t realize it. But yes, there have definitely been people enjoying the parties. All decked out, too…I did hear a story of a guy that got a tattoo for two superbowl tickets. I was like, I would be a superfan for two superbowl tickets.
HC: Thank you very much!