ANDERSON, Ind. —
Ivy Tech student and Anderson High School mid-semester graduate Kavelle Brooks likens being a part of the Super Bowl host committee to being at the Super Bowl itself.
Brooks, who played football in school, and Anderson High School senior Zach Burkhardt are the Super Bowl ambassadors for Anderson Community Schools.
They have been involved in the planning since eighth grade, when the NFL searched for 32 student representatives from the school corporations surrounding Indianapolis.
“It’s pretty awesome and exciting to go from four years ago to see where it’s going now,” Brooks said. “It’s changed my life.”
Kelly Durr, assistant principal of Highland Junior High School, said the NFL was looking for those “who showed great character in the classroom and as a student athlete.”
Then assistant principal of North Side Middle School, Durr said they had to pick an athlete the same day they were told about the ambassadors. Those chosen were to hand-deliver bids to host the Super Bowl — Burkhardt went to Denver while Brooks went to Chicago — and to be involved in planning and activities if Indianapolis was selected.
Burkhardt said he believes the decision to get students involved and deliver the bids in person made a big impact.
“I think that’s what got Indianapolis the Super Bowl,” he said. “It showed we’re very community-oriented.”
While being selected was unexpected for Brooks — he even remembers asking himself, “Did they mean to pick me?” back at South Side Middle School — he said the experience has led to opportunities he would’ve never had.
Brooks has met new people, including NFL members and players, made new friends with fellow student ambassadors and just been glad to be a part of bringing the Super Bowl to Indianapolis.
“Just the experience itself, being a part of the Indianapolis Super Bowl” has been Brooks’ favorite part of it all, he said.
Burkhardt said he didn’t know he’d be doing so many big things. He got to be in a photo shoot with the super cars and said going to Denver and touring the complex was his favorite part. On Jan. 27, he was one of the first people to go down the zipline.
But it hasn’t been all fun and games.
As members of the host committee, Burkhardt and Brooks have been doing a lot of community outreach “to just make (the community) a better place to live,” Burkhardt said.
On Monday, the students helped prepare a total of about 7,000 “baskets of hope” for ill children around the country. They will also be working in a soup kitchen downtown Saturday.
Brooks said he remembers helping clean up a part of Indianapolis, what he believed to be a youth camp.
“It was completely transformed,” he said.
Burkhardt said it’s the responsibility of the host committee’s members to help make Indianapolis a better place and “a successful environment” to have the Super Bowl.
“It is awesome just to be involved in community outreach programs,” he said. “It’s good to give back to the community.”
Contact Dani Palmer: 640-4847, dani.palmer@heraldbulletin.com
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Zach Burkhardt poses with Gary Brackett of the Colts at the zipline Monday in Super Bowl Village before they went for their ride.
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