As the NFL season kicks off, our Oxnard (Calif.) Club recounts how their city hosted the Dallas Cowboys!
By Amber H., myclubmylife.com Teen Reporter, Harriet H. Samuelsson Teen Center of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme
For the past three years, my Keystone Club has had the privilege of partnering with the Dallas Cowboys at their annual training camp, held right here in OUR hometown of Oxnard, California. It has been the experience of a lifetime to get hands-on career experience, have a professional team practice in OUR city and meet die-hard Cowboy fans from all over the world.
You might think we love partnering with the Cowboys because they are America’s Team, but what really brings us back is that the Cowboys organization treats us like we are a part of their family.
Our job during training camp is to sell Spin-2-Win Souvenir Credentials for a chance to win VIP passes for the contestant and a guest. Let me tell you, these credentials sell like hot cakes!
We worked beside the Cowboys’ AMAZING Marketing Team for the third year in a row. It consists of John Hickman, Aron Chatman, Kelsey Charles, and the newest (and, in our opinion, coolest) member Charles Boltas, as well as a plethora of awesome interns who helped us day in and day out. Another incredible man who helps us while at Cowboy Camp is Nate Newton, six-time Pro Bowl Selection, two-time All-Pro Selection and three-time Super Bowl Champion.
When the Raiders arrived in town, training camp went BANANAS! There were thousands of fans lined up before 7 a.m. and parking was a nightmare, but I’ve got to give it to the Cowboys organization, OPD and officers from surrounding cities who came out and kept us safe. They had no tolerance for anyone there who was there with wrong intentions and that made us Keystoners proud to be from Oxnard.
While the media blew up the fights that occurred at training camp, the days the Raiders were here was not as chaotic as people might think. In fact, the most heartwarming moment occurred during one of those two days. A younger kid named Zachary donated $100 to our Keystone Club. We were happy to see his excitement to give to us, so we asked that he be upgraded to the VIP Area where he got to meet some of his favorite players and watch them practice.
This year, Mr. Newton and Mr. Boltas helped us by promoting our #GreatFutures campaign during our entire time at Cowboy Training Camp. They stressed to the fans how important The Club is to communities across the nation and challenged fans to get involved. We are thankful to the Dallas Cowboys for partnering with our Club and we look forward to next year’s training camp.
Go Cowboys!
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