North Carolina State University Athletics
Looking for More WITH Partners Volunteers
8/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
Now, WITH organizers are looking for more volunteers to sign up for a program that NC State Chancellor James L. Oblinger says is a great reflection of Wolfpack fans and tailgaters.
“We created the WITH program to encourage sportsmanship and [improve] general fan behavior at our games,” Oblinger said. “Many colleges and universities across the country, as well as NFL teams, are now taking steps to create fan codes of behavior in tailgate parking lots and in the stands of their stadiums.
“I was encouraged by the feedback we received from our volunteers, who truly enjoyed their experience on game days.”
The Partners program started last year as a way to improve the experience for all fans, in the parking lots in and around the Carter-Finley Stadium and the State Fairgrounds. It is an off-shoot of the nationally recognized WITH sportsmanship campaign, which enters its fourth season of promoting good sportsmanship before, during and after home football games.
Partners volunteers are asked to roam the parking areas, answer questions, communicate the importance of responsible behavior while tailgating and assist in making visitors to the stadium feel welcome.
Volunteers are required to read the on-line training manual and attend a training session at 3:30 p.m. Friday before most home games. Those who participate in the program receive a free ticket to the game they work, a parking pass, a community service certificate and a WITH T-shirt. Other giveaways are also available, thanks to the Partnership for Drug Free North Carolina, at the designated driver tent.
Last year, 242 volunteers worked the Wolfpack’s seven home football games. Many of those came from groups that included the NC State softball team, the student affairs staff, the senior class council and the student ambassadors.
Nearly 700 people signed up as designated drivers, promising not to drink and to drive members of their party home.
The Chancellor is looking for greater student participation in the program this year, based on suggestions made by new NC State student body president Jay Dawkins. “I am interested in seeing how these efforts impact our student participation in the program this year,” Oblinger said. Click here for some frequently asked questions and here to volunteer to become a WITH Partner volunteer. For more information about the program, contact Morgan Stewart at morgan_stewart@ncsu.edu. You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
