Play Football Month celebrates season's start

(July 13, 2005) -- The NFL, NFLPA and USA Football are teaming again to celebrate the start of the football season on all levels -- from youth to the NFL -- with a month-long national campaign starting in late August.
Play Football Month, an expansion of last year's Play Football Week, will take place from Aug. 25 - Sept. 30, 2005. The campaign theme is: "Be Part of the Football Family."
Young people of all ages can participate in special football events in their communities throughout the month, including clinics, skills competitions, scrimmages, picnics and parades.
NFL teams and youth football organizations such as the Amateur Athletic Union, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Jewish Community Centers Association, National Association of Police Athletic Leagues, National Federation of State High School Associations, National Recreation & Park Association, Pop Warner Little Scholars, YMCA of the USA, American Football College Association and military bases will host the local events and provide assistance in generating interest and participation.
In addition to donating 55,000 tickets to area youth and military personnel last year as part of the inaugural Play Football Week, NFL teams supported the initiative by including local youth in preseason game activities, including the coin-toss ceremony, the National Anthem and halftime youth football scrimmages.
"Getting youngsters involved in football encourages them to be active, and the lessons they learn on the field go far beyond the fundamentals of the game. They learn to tackle life's challenges," said NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. "It's important that we celebrate what the game of football provides for our children and our communities."
A national print, radio and television campaign for Play Football Month will begin later this month. Promotion for events will be coordinated through local leagues and football organizations, community centers, news outlets and NFL clubs during preseason game telecasts.
For information on local events or to become involved in Play Football Month, interested groups can visit www.usafootball.com to use the online Play Football Month Toolkit and sign up for free materials, including field banners, patches and helmet decals. The toolkit provides a turnkey operation that can be implemented by local football and community organizations.
The Play Football Month Celebration Awards will again recognize events that best celebrate the sport of football and bring the community together. While NFL teams are not eligible for the award, non-profit organizations with which they work are eligible for nomination. Last year's winning celebrations included a pep rally, parade, picnic, skills clinic and scrimmage. Among last year's 11 winners, several worked with their local NFL team, including the Naperville Pop Warner (Chicago), Naples Gators (Miami), San Diego Youth Football & Cheer Conference (San Diego) and Western New York Youth Tackle Football Federation (Buffalo).
USA Football is an independent non-profit organization that was endowed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association in December 2002. It is the first national advocacy group created to galvanize, support, and promote the sport of amateur football and its invaluable lessons for all boys and girls. Jack Kemp, former Congressman and quarterback who led the Buffalo Bills to the 1964 and 1965 American Football League Championship, serves as chairman of USA Football.

NFL