FACT SHEET from the 2008 Democratic National Convention

THE 2008 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION:
ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY

Since arriving in Denver in July 2007, Convention organizers have made service and active participation in the community a staple of Convention planning.  An earlier than ever head start has paid dividends as the Denver community has welcomed the Convention with incredible energy and enthusiasm. Local businesses are involved in every aspect of planning and are poised to reap the benefits of the estimated $160 million economic impact.

Volunteers                                                    
More than 26,000 volunteers from the Denver Metro area and across the country stepped forward to give of their time and energy to make the 2008 Convention a success.  These volunteers comprise a diverse range of people from all walks of life.  Volunteers will serve in a variety of capacities, from drivers to greeters to assistants, serving in our departments of hospitality, administration, finance, production, security, technology, transportation and communications and greatly contributing to the behind-the-scenes execution of the Convention.

DNCC Service Days
Convention leaders and staff have contributed more than 750 hours to a variety of local efforts. “DNCC Service Days” focused on three areas of importance to the Denver-area community: youth, environment and the combined issues of homelessness and hunger.  Among the projects was a “build brigade” to construct a home for a wounded Iraq war veteran. The build brigade is a project of Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit organization committed to building specially-adapted homes across the United States for severely wounded American troops. The house in Golden, Colorado will be home to SSG Travis Strong, his wife Misty and their two children.

Delegate Service Day
In conjunction with Democrats Work, Metro Volunteers and Volunteers of America, the DNCC is coordinating a Delegate Service Day on Wednesday, August 27th. Michelle Obama and Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter will co-chair this effort, which aims to inspire hundreds of thousands of Americans in a renewed commitment to service.

Projects will range from canned food sorting, painting at local schools, serving meals at shelters, reading to children, removing graffiti, landscaping at local schools, tree planting and park maintenance. These projects will allow delegates to both contribute to and celebrate the people and organizations making positive change and strengthening communities in the city hosting the Democratic National Convention.

Convention Conversations
Convention leaders logged more than 3,500 miles across eight cities throughout the Rocky Mountain West to participate in a series of community forums. The series – “Convention Conversations: A Traveling Forum Sponsored by the DNCC” – provided a venue to answer questions and offer information.  Thousands of residents and businesses in Denver, the state of Colorado and states throughout the West took advantage of the opportunity for direct communication with top Convention organizers to share ideas and find out how to get involved.

Write to Lead Youth Essay Contest
The DNCC worked with several local partners on the “Write to Lead” essay contest to provide a unique opportunity for Colorado youth to voice their thoughts on leadership and the future of our country. We knew young people in Colorado have big ideas about what makes a good leader and where our country is headed -- and with the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, there was no better time to give voice to those big ideas.

From a field of more than 1,200 applicants, 54 finalists were selected to serve as ambassadors to state and territorial delegations prior to the Convention via a "Postcards from Colorado" campaign.  

Two Presidential Winners were selected to attend opening night of the Convention, have their essays published in local newspapers and each received a laptop computer to aid with future writing projects.

Community Open House and Youth Program
In an effort to say “thank you” to the Denver community for hosting the Convention, the DNCC scheduled a Community Open House, allowing more than 5,000 area residents to tour the Convention hall before delegates and other elected officials arrive in Denver.  A special youth program provided an opportunity for area students to tour the Convention hall, take photos and participate in an educational program on the historical significance of political conventions and the role they play in our democratic process.

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