General Chairman and General Vice Chairman to Lead Large Volunteer Corps for 2019 Enshrinement

DOUG FROELICH TO SERVE AS GENERAL CHAIRMAN; TODD STOVER NAMED GENERAL VICE CHAIRMAN

 CANTON, OHIO – The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce have named two long-time community volunteers to the top leadership positions for the 2019 festivities that will celebrate the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement. Doug Froelich will serve as General Chairman and Todd Stover as General Vice Chairman.

 Froelich and Stover will lead the nearly 5,000-person volunteer corps that helps with the planning, coordination and execution of the events surrounding the enshrinement of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019. The volunteers provide a world-class experience to the hundreds of thousands of fans who will descend upon the Canton community for the 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement festivities including Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls. The annual event kicks off the NFL’s season and centers around the enshrinement of the Class of 2019 that will take place on Saturday, August 3 in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

 Froelich, a 28-year veteran of the volunteer team, has served on the Hall of Fame Hospitality and Enshrinement Committees and the 50th Anniversary Committee, as well as chairing the Balloon Classic Committee and twice chairing the Security and Logistics Committee. Froelich’s extensive volunteer efforts have been guided by his definition of volunteerism, “giving of your time, talents, and resources without expectation of reward.”

 He graduated from North Canton Hoover High School, Kent State University, and Ashland University. He is a teacher, National Honor Society adviser and senior class adviser at Green High School, and also previously served on the Green Local School District Leadership Team and as the Language Arts Department chairman.

This summer’s celebration will be Stover’s 40th year as a volunteer including 39 years on the Hall of Fame Security Committee, the past 11 as the committee chairman.  Stover, the Capital Portfolio Manager for Ohio Edison/Penn Power, is a past-president and chairman of the Jackson-Belden Jaycees, past chairman of Parish Council of Saints Philip & James Church, and is a member of the Edison Men’s Club, Knights of Columbus #11037, North Canton Eagles Aerie 2223, and North Canton Elks #2029. He and his wife Shelly are the proud parents of two children.

 Froelich and Stover will work closely with the staffs at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce to provide training and resources to enhance an already solid foundation of dedicated community volunteers. The volunteer corps provides the support necessary to host the large celebration each summer in Canton. In addition, the community volunteers assist with other events throughout year and will be integral to the Canton community hosting the NFL’s Centennial Celebration in 2020.

 The annual Enshrinement is a celebration of the Hall of Fame’s important mission to “Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values and Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.” The celebration, through the collaboration with the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, has grown significantly over the years and now draws over 700,000 people that generates an estimated economic impact over $40 million for the Canton/Stark County area and nearly $65 million for the State of Ohio. In addition, millions of people tune in to experience a number of the events that are televised nationally.

 In one of the greatest traditions in all of sports, more than 140 Gold Jackets (a term to reference living Hall of Famers) are expected to return to Canton this summer to participate in the festivities that surround the Enshrinement of the Class of 2019.

 The Class of 2019 will be announced on “Selection Saturday” (Feb. 2) on the eve of Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.

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