Are OUWB volunteers good luck charms for the Detroit Lions? Some say yes

Everyone knows the Detroit Lions have been tearing through opponents on the field, but a group of members from the OUWB community are raising a big question - could the medical school be one of the team's good luck charms?

After all, students, staff, and faculty have been volunteering at Detroit Lions games held at Ford Field since the start of the 2022 season, and the team is 18-8 at home, won its division twice, and made the playoffs twice. Many experts currently have the Detroit Lions as Super Bowl favorites.

Not only that, but the OUWB volunteers at Ford Field have raised about $75,000 - with every penny going to a good cause: Michigan Veterans Foundation; CARE House of Oakland County; Hope Shelters; Capuchin Soup Kitchen; and several health care-related community fairs.

Trixy Hall, coordinator, Graduate Program and Community Outreach, calls it a true "win-win" situation.

"First and foremost, we are extremely proud of our volunteers who step up for the benefit of our community partners," says Hall.

"The volunteering truly reflects OUWB's mission to improve the health of the communities it serves."

"That being said, I can't help but wonder if OUWB is a good luck charm for the Lions," she adds with a smile. "The team's recent successes seem to fall directly in line with OUWB's presence at the games."

Others say they see the connection, too.

"Before we started volunteering, the Lions were not winning, right?" says Ann Voorheis-Sargent, Ph.D., director, Center for Excellence in Medical Education (CEME), OUWB. She regularly volunteers at games with her husband, Scott Sargent.

"To think we might be a good luck charm just might be a fair assessment."

'A certain energy'

[Link] From left, OUWB students Iulia Dobrin, Ann-Marie Zheng, and Soumya Chennupai, during a Lions game in Detroit.

Starting with the 2022 season, OUWB has partnered on the effort with Security, Athletic Facilities & Events (SAFE) Management. The company works with organizations and facilities across the country and has worked at Ford Field since it opened in 2002.

Among other things, SAFE coordinates guest services for events at Ford Field. This includes taking tickets, handing out giveaways, and serving as ushers and greeters.

Voorheis-Sargent says the key is for volunteers to go into it with an open mind "because you don't know what you're going to do." For example, it could be handing out promotional bobbleheads and scarves or making sure people stay out of aisles or don't jump on the field.

"As a whole, it's very easy," she says.

In exchange for providing volunteers to SAFE, OUWB receives a payment, which varies because it's based on how many people volunteer and the number of hours they work. (OUWB volunteers also are sometimes utilized for non-sports-related events.)

Hall says OUWB currently is the only organization from which SAFE draws volunteers.

"Our volunteers are consistent, always there to have fun, and bring a certain energy that everyone seems to love," she says.

Volunteers from OUWB are staff, faculty, and students. Family with direct ties to the OUWB community also can volunteer. Students also can count the time they work as service hours.

Hall says it's all about "giving." In just one example of how the money is used, in July 2023, OUWB bought and delivered 4,000 diapers and 7,000 wipes to CARE House of Oakland County.

"We're giving to give," she says. "We're giving our time at the stadium so that we can continue to give in the communities that we serve and work in."

Electric feeling

To be in the building with the Detroit Lions and the team's fans is like being part of a kind of positive electric feeling, according to OUWB volunteers.

"You can feel the energy…and it's such a cool feeling," says Voorheis-Sargent. "All of the fans are very happy and there's just an excitement in the air and it's something we really enjoy."

She says it's also fun to "people watch" and see the different costumes that fans wear to the games.

Students also say they enjoy the experience.

Jordan Kamen, M2, has volunteered at several games. A lifelong resident of southeast Michigan, she says it's fun to be part of the excitement. This year, Kamen's job has been primarily handing out promotional giveaways.

"It's a lot of fun," she says. "Everyone is yelling and excited when they walk in…they love whatever you give them, too."

[Link] Nicholas Belair, M2, David Howell, M4, and Chance Stevenson, M4, at Ford Field.

Nicholas Belair, M2, is another frequent OUWB volunteer. Originally from Oregon, he says he's adopted the Lions as his favorite NFL team.

"It's really cool to just be in that environment with fans before the game and just feel the excitement building," he says.

Since volunteers must arrive early, Belair says one of the coolest things is to watch Ford Field go from almost empty to being jam-packed.

"Every time I do it, that's a really cool thing to watch," he says. "It still hasn't worn out for me."

The fact that they're doing it for a good cause makes it even sweeter for the students.

"Knowing that there's an aspect of helping the community with all of this is really awesome," says Kamen. "It's nice that this is doubling up our ability to serve our community."

"A lot of students picked OUWB because of its interest in community engagement," says Belair. "When you hear that we've raised $75,000 through this…it's like a proof of practice. If shows OUWB students don't just talk about community…it's something they're really committed to."

And what about that notion that OUWB just might be a Lions good luck charm?

"I'm from metro Detroit and had never been to a Lions game until the first time I volunteered so it must be true," says Kamen.

Or maybe it's just Belair. Since moving to Michigan from the West Coast, University of Michigan has won a national championship, Oakland University played in March Madness and upset University of Kentucky, the Detroit Tigers made the postseason, and of course, well, the Lions.

"There's been a lot of interesting sports success in Michigan since I've moved here so yes, maybe there is something to being a good luck charm," he says with a smile.

For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at [email protected].

To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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