GENERAL CHAIRPERSON AND GENERAL VICE CHAIRPERSON TO LEAD LARGE VOLUNTEEER CORPS FOR 2020 ENSHRINEMENT

GENERAL CHAIRPERSON AND GENERAL VICE CHAIRPERSON TO LEAD LARGE VOLUNTEEER CORPS FOR 2020 ENSHRINEMENT
TODD STOVER TO SERVE AS GENERAL CHAIRPERSON;

DENNIS MANZELLA NAMED GENERAL VICE CHAIRPERSON

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 2020 festivities that will celebrate the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement. Todd Stover will serve as General Chairperson and Dennis Manzella as General Vice Chairperson.

 Stover and Manzella will lead the nearly 5,000-person volunteer corps that helps with the planning, coordination and execution of the events surrounding the annual enshrinement celebration. The volunteers provide a world-class experience to the hundreds of thousands of fans who will descend upon the Canton community for the 2020 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 Ceremony for members of the Class of 2020 that will take place on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

 Stover is the Manager of Program Delivery & Controls, Emerging Technologies Group, FirstEnergy Corp,  and this will be his 41^st year of volunteer service to the Enshrinement Festival, including 39 years on the Hall of Fame Security Committee, 10 years as chairman. He 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, and a long time United Way supporter.  He and his wife Shelly reside in Canal Fulton and are the proud parents of University of Akron graduates Kyle and Lauren.

 Manzella, a New York native, attended St. John’s University and New York University and is currently serving as the Assistant Vice President of Marketing for Western Reserve Group. He is a member of PIA of Indiana, and Big “I” Agent Association of Ohio and Indiana. A long-time, dedicated Enshrinement Festival volunteer, he is entering his fifth and final year as chairman of the Concert for Legends Committee, and he previously chaired the Appreciation Party and Security and Logistics Committees and has served on the Enshrinement and Game Committees. He and wife Rose Ann are parishioners at St. Michael’s Catholic Church.

 Stover and Manzella 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 the year and will be integral to the Canton community hosting the NFL’s Centennial Celebration in September 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 past 56 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 next summer to participate in the festivities that surround the 2020 Enshrinement celebration.

 The Modern-Era Players for the Class of 2020 will be announced on “Selection Saturday” (Feb. 1) on the eve of Super Bowl LIV in Miami, Florida.

 #PFHOF20

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 ABOUT THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

Located in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of the National Football League, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution with the Mission to Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values, & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. AAM accreditation is national recognition for the museum’s commitment to excellence and the highest professional standards of museum operation and public service.

 Hundreds of thousands of fans from across the globe travel to Canton annually to experience “The Most Inspiring Place on Earth!”  that chronicles America’s most popular sport. Fans can also enjoy the Hall of Fame Store at the Hall, and online at www.profootballhof.com/store, for merchandise from all 32 NFL clubs plus the Hall of Fame. Proceeds from the Store support the Hall’s Mission. 

Construction on Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village, a mixed-use development project, is under way in Canton to transform the Hall of Fame’s campus. 

ABOUT THE CANTON REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization of more than 1,900 institutions and individuals dedicated to the advancement of the economic, industrial, professional, cultural and civic welfare of Star County. The mission of the Chamber is to lead the region in business and community development through collaboration and innovation.

 The Chamber achieves this through economic development, education and workforce development, government affairs, leadership development, safety education, downtown revitalization efforts, and more than 70 events and programs annually.

 The Chamber has partnered with the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 1963 to produce the annual Enshrinement Festival events and is committed to a unified effort to enhance the volunteer corps while seizing the opportunities presented by the development of Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village and the celebration of the NFL Centennial in 2020.