By Abbey Doyle
The Herald Bulletin
ANDERSON, Ind. —
Among the many good things that will accompany the return of Indianapolis Colts training camp to Anderson University is the community involvement it will foster.
About 130 people applied for jobs at the camp, and scores of others have signed up to do training camp volunteer work during the Colts’ Aug. 1-18 presence at AU.
The jobs — 45-60 positions to help with parking and security, mostly — will be for just a few weeks and probably won’t pay a lot. But any boost in employment — no matter how small — is good for an area like ours that has shed hundreds of jobs since the recession started.
The volunteers attended two-hour training sessions at Anderson University to learn more details about training camp and AU’s campus. Perhaps most importantly, they picked up tips about how to engage visitors and make them aware of the Anderson area’s many offerings.
When you take a few minutes to think about it, there really is quite a bit to do here — the casino, concerts and horse racing at Hoosier Park, auto racing at Anderson Speedway, nature walks and learning at Mounds State Park, and events at the Paramount Theatre Centre and the Anderson Center for the Arts.
Add events at AU, Falls Park in Pendleton and the variety of festivals each year in communities across Madison County, and the Anderson area has its share of attractions.
And now we have Colts training camp. Officials estimate 40,000 will visit Anderson to watch the Colts practice during the span of the camp.
The Colts trained here from 1984-98 but are coming back as a different team. Back then, they were perennial also-rans with little star power. Now they’re led by one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, quarterback Peyton Manning, and are arguably the most successful franchise in the most successful sport, pro football, over the past decade.
Our community should do everything it can to capitalize on the Colts’ presence. A direct $5.5 million economic impact is projected. But the value of the Colts’ time in Anderson runs much deeper, from community pride to national media exposure.
The involvement of local workers and volunteers will help the community — and those coming from the outside — connect completely with the NFL franchise.
