I scored a spot as a Super Bowl volunteer for the first time. I'd do it again even though I didn't get to watch the game.

12.02.2024 - 18:47 / insider.com

Last June, a segment on FOX 5 Vegas calling for Super Bowl LVIII volunteers caught my attention.

The upcoming game would be at Vegas' Allegiant Stadium, less than two hours away from my home in Mesquite, Nevada.

I'd always wanted to go to the Super Bowl, but at over $5,000 a ticket, that dream is way beyond the financial reality of the average Joe. It seemed exciting to at least be a small part of football's most revered event — one I've been a faithful fan of since I was a kid.

So, my husband and I filled out a simple application online and were among the 7,000 chosen to volunteer. Thousands of others got waitlisted.

Volunteers aren't promised Super Bowl tickets or a chance to see the game live, but we approached the adventure with open minds.

In November, we attended our official 90-minute training, where host-committee Team LVIII organizers mapped out the flow of events and how we'd all communicate.

Our small training class had volunteers from all over — Canada, Kansas, Alaska, Florida, California, Massachusetts, and New Mexico, to name a few.

I was amazed people were flying into town for this, especially since visiting Vegas can be expensive, and there was no guarantee we'd even set foot in the stadium.

Since the Super Bowl is one of the highest-ranked security events in the nation, the session had a government-agency safety briefing, too.

We also picked up our free swag with the Super Bowl LVIII logo.

Our bounty included a stadium-approved clear bag, pins, dice, a hat, a lanyard, a poker chip, sunglasses, and the uniform T-shirt and hoodie.

Las Vegas hosted hundreds of thousands of people to celebrate the historic weekend, and our job was to help them feel welcome.

Volunteers were stationed throughout iconic city landmarks, from The Strip to Allegiant Stadium to Harry Reid International Airport.

The host committee suggested volunteers work three or four shifts between Thursday and Super Bowl Sunday.

We chose two on The Strip and one at Fremont Street for a total of 12½ volunteer hours. We also spent about seven hours driving to and from our gigs.

Our tasks ranged from capturing guests' smiles in front of Super Bowl LVIII displays to distributing collectible swag items.

We became informal ambassadors of goodwill, providing directions around town and answering questions of every nature. We also got to know many fellow volunteers and exchanged email addresses for future meetups.

Overall, I thought the hosting committee operated smoothly. I was extra impressed because this was the city's first time hosting a Super Bowl.

We weren't invited to watch the big game live from Allegiant Stadium. Instead, we drove back to Mesquite to watch it from the comfort of our home.

But we were OK with it. We were