Dear Friends – I hope you all were wearing your “Who Dat for Kids?” t-shirts and watching last night as the New Orleans Saints clinched a spot in the Super Bowl for the first time in the franchise’s 42 year history! It was an amazing moment that lifted the spirits of New Orleanians far and wide! We now are preparing to meet New Orleans native Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7th! For those of you don’t closely follow football (or the Saints!) Peyton’s father, Archie Manning, was the quarterback of the Saints for over ten years. That personal connection, along with the City of New Orleans’ own emotional recovery and rebuilding story, will add great drama to an already amazing event!
But, before the whole town heads for Miami on the 7th, we have a citywide election on Saturday, Feb. 6th. On that day, voters will be electing a mayor, an entire city council, a new juvenile court judge, a sheriff, and numerous other municipal positions. We continue in our efforts to bring attention to the needs of children and youth through our “10 for 2010″ platform, our mayoral forum and, most recently, our “Who Dat for Kids?” youth rally this past Saturday. It was an amazing event, attracting over 400 youth from around the city, who marched down Poydras Street to City Hall, holding signs calling for greater attention to issues that matter to them.
The great press continued on Sunday as the Times-Picyaune ran a lengthy feature on the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) and the reform necessary to improve that agency. Every Sunday the paper has been highlighting major city issues and sharing the candidates’ positions on those issues. The idea that recreation even made the list and received such significant coverage was a huge accomplishment and validates the work we have doing on this issue.
As Saints quarterback Drew Brees said last night, “The work is not yet over.” While our accomplishments in this work have been significant, we still have a ways to go. However, like the Saints we are focused on our goals and determined to be successful. I was putting last night’s game into perspective this morning as I thought about the fact that none of those players on the field last night started out as professional athletes. They started out as kids – on playgrounds – coached and mentored by caring adults who taught them leadership, teamwork, and determination. What we need in New Orleans is a mayor who is determined to give each child their Super Bowl.
Thank you all for your continued support and Go Saints! Black and Gold in the Super Bowl!
