STATEHOUSE — Rep. Rebecca Kubacki (R-Syracuse) along with her colleagues in the Indiana House of Representatives took time today to honor members of the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee and the City of Indianapolis for their efforts in hosting Super Bowl XLVI.
“The Super Bowl showed the world what Hoosiers have known for decades: Indianapolis is a world class city in the heart of America,” said Rep. Kubacki. “The rave reviews and widespread consensus for Indianapolis to be on the regular rotation of cities to host the Super Bowl is indicative of the countless hours put forth by the Super Bowl Host Committee, the dedication by Hoosier volunteers and our state’s hospitality.”
The Super Bowl Host Committee served as the city’s ambassadors for incoming Super Bowl fans, players and media. In an effort to showcase Hoosier hospitality, they designated and ran 20 Super Celebration sites around Indianapolis. They also managed local resources such as city services, event venues, accommodations and thousands of volunteers.
Their efforts were enjoyed by more than 1.1 million visitors to Super Bowl Village and more than 265,000 visitors to the NFL experience in downtown Indianapolis.
In addition to hosting Super Bowl events, the committee tackled several long-lasting community projects. Prior to being awarded Super Bowl XLVI, Indianapolis showcased the Near Eastside Legacy Project, which consisted of residents who were hard at work transforming their declining eastside community in an effort to be a model for neighborhood revitalization across the city.
In 2008, when the NFL announced that Indianapolis had won its bid, they praised the city's enthusiasm for the project as a big reason. Following this, the committee helped manage the project, which raised more than $154 million through public and private partners.
The 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee also partnered with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at IU Simon Cancer Center ("Komen Tissue Bank") to develop Indy's Super Cure. Indy's Super Cure initiative capitalizes on Indianapolis' robust health and life sciences resources to propel the search for a cure.
Finally, the Host Committee partnered with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc. and the John H. Boner Community Center to plant 2,876 trees in the community – exceeding the city’s 2012 arborous goals.
Led by Chairman Mark Miles and CEO Allison Melangton, the Super Bowl Host Committee consisted of 35 staff members, 150 volunteer co-chairs and over 8,000 volunteers.
“Indiana is on the cusp of economic prosperity and considerable growth,” said Rep. Kubacki. “The grand stage of the Super Bowl has propelled Indiana as a great state to start a business, raise a family and live. The benefits from the game will be recognizable long after the game is a distant memory.”
During today’s legislative session, the committee’s accomplishments were recognized with a standing ovation from all legislators, staff and members of the public that were present.
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