FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brian McCarthy, NFL
mccarthyb@nfl.com
Meghan Powers, NFL,
powersm@nfl.com
In New Orleans: 504-561-5435
Habitat for Humanity Super Bowl BLITZ Build
Super Bowl St. Roch Initiative
January 26, 2002—The
NFL is building a lasting Super Bowl legacy with Habitat for Humanity in
the St. Roch neighborhood of New Orleans. During the “Super Bowl Blitz
Build,” an NFL-sponsored house will be built for the Brooks family of New
Orleans. The build will take one week, culminating on February 2.
The “Super Bowl Blitz
Build” kicked off at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, January 26 at 1836 Mandeville
Street in New Orleans. State and local government officials, along with
representatives from Habitat for Humanity and the New Orleans
Redevelopment Authority, were on hand for the wall-raising ceremony of the
NFL-sponsored house. In attendance were Tom Benson, New Orleans Saints
owner,and Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu.
On
Thursday, January 31 New Orleans Saints players, including QB
Aaron Brooks, and San
Diego Chargers DE Marcellus
Wiley, will exchange their helmets and pads for hammers and
saws to help build the NFL house while also visiting with the families who
will live in these new homes.
On Saturday, February 2,the Brooks family will receive keys
to their first home.
The
New Orleans Redevelopment Authority is donating all 10 lots to the Super
Bowl St. Roch Initiative. The Independent School Association, Travel
Industry of America and Habitat for Humanity International - Collegiate
Challenge are sponsoring three of the remaining nine houses.
NFL Charities, created
in 1973, is a non-profit organization created by the member clubs of the
National Football League to enable the clubs to collectively make grants
to charitable and worthwhile causes on the national level. Since its
inception, NFL Charities has made more than $45 million in grant
commitments to more than 250 different organizations.
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