NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell greets volunteers for Second Harvest Food Bank and honor legacy partners during the NFL Super Bowl Legacy Press Conference, New Orleans, La., Feb. 25, 2025. (Cheryl Gerber/AP Content Services for the NFL)

Ten years ago while living in Northern California, I participated as a volunteer for Super Bowl 50 (Broncos vs. Panthers).

The San Francisco 49ers had moved to Santa Clara a couple years earlier for their home games, but the festivities and build-up to the game all took place in San Francisco.

Months before the Super Bowl, an ad was posted on Facebook and other media asking if people in the Bay Area were interested in volunteering. If so, they were to contact a particular website for more information.

Being a big football fan, I applied and was pleasantly surprised when I received a positive reply.

As the date got closer we were given online classes about managing crowds, how to spot human traffickers and how to get emergency assistance, if needed.

One day I went to San Francisco to the Super Bowl headquarters, where I received my ID, a hat, backpack, coat, rain poncho and water bottle. The clothing and accessories were in the color of the Golden Gate Bridge — international orange.

Yes, we stood out. The place was jumping with organized excitement. Electricity was in the air.

I lived in Santa Rosa, about 50 miles north of San Francisco. During my volunteer week, I drove south to a commuter bus parking lot in the morning, parked my car and got on the bus along with folks heading to work.

The bus took us to the Ferry stop in Marin County, and we ferried across the bay. At the Ferry Building in San Francisco, I often bought a pastry, a hot drink and read a paperback book, or chatted with other volunteers as we waited for our shift to start.

As the time drew near, we walked across the street to check in with our shift captain to see what we’d be doing that particular day. Fans wearing every NFL team logo came and went, but I gave particular attention to those in black and gold.

This event happened in January, and it was cold with temperatures in the low 50s. I had on two-three warm layers beneath my coat.

The biting wind in San Francisco can be brutal anytime, let alone January. Just ask anyone who ever attended a summer baseball game at Candlestick Park or even now at AT&T Park. But the adrenaline and smiling fans kept us going so that we didn’t feel the cold…that much.

Suddenly my four-hour shift was over, and I retraced my steps back home to do it all over again the next day. By the time I pulled into my garage, I was tired but excited about what I’d experienced.

And now 10 years later, another Super Bowl is back in the Bay Area — Super Bowl LX — and I’m reliving these memories all over again. What a time.

Alice Richardson, shown at Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco, resides in Hollidaysburg.