by Eiden Hughes
Writer for 
and on behalf of the City of Glendale
The 2014 Raptors in the Community Program is underway and already connecting members of the Raptors organization to the Greater Metro Denver Area. Giving back to the community is one of the club’s core values. In past years, volunteers from both men’s and women’s squads have donated their time to some of Colorado’s most-dedicated nonprofit organizations through the Raptors in the Community Program.
This year the program has evolved —Denver-based Sign Language XL takes over the title of presenting sponsor, and a new level of volunteer, the Ambassador, has been introduced.
Sign Language XL is one of the country’s leaders in digital printing, who pride themselves on their ability to provide vibrant, high resolution images on any scale and on virtually any substrate. In Denver, their finished products are visible at Pepsi Center, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, First Bank Center in Broomfield and, of course, Infinity Park.
The Raptors have also added an advanced level of volunteer to the ranks, called the Ambassador. While volunteer opportunities are still available on a regular basis for everyone within the Glendale Raptors, the Ambassadors take their volunteerism to the next level. They will be considered the go-to representatives of the team for all outreach initiatives.
The Ambassadors, known as the Elite Eight, endured rigorous interviews and are committed to donating a minimum of four hours per month (in addition to their full-time jobs, and training, playing and traveling for rugby) to various charitable activities and outreach programs.
The Raptors Ambassadors for 2014 are: Men’s Team Captain Zach Fenoglio, Jack Haward, Joanna “JoJo” Kitlinski, Chad London, Joash Peko, Casey Rock, Gedda Rodriguez-Howard and Juliann Tordonato.
“While we had many qualified ambassador candidates, it was apparent in our interviews that these eight truly possess the leadership characteristics and communications skills that are a critical component to the upcoming community service opportunities,” said Glendale Deputy City Manager and Director of Finance Linda Cassaday. “We are proud to have them representing the City of Glendale and the Raptors in the community!”
Recently, the Ambassadors attended Centura Soup for the Soul (March 10) and they visited Children’s Hospital on March 26. Upcoming events include another visit to Children’s Hospital on April 30, and the Kids Running America event in Washington Park on April 27. There are several events slated for the remainder of the year, and new events are being added regularly through the request feature on the RITC portion of the Raptors’ website.
The “Unity” In Community
Perhaps one of the most interesting facts about the eight chosen Ambassadors is that only two of them — Fenoglio and Rock — are Colorado natives. Even so, both have left their native state at one time or another to pursue higher education, realize career ambitions, or even play rugby abroad.
The other six Ambassadors have come to Glendale from far and wide. Haward is a native of England, who first came to Colorado a year ago to play summer mountain rugby in Breckenridge. London is from South Africa, and originally came to the U.S. to attend Palmer College, where he played rugby and became a licensed chiropractor. Rodriguez-Howard rounds out the overseas group, having grown up in Bogota, Columbia, after a move across the Atlantic from Spain.
Peko, Tordonato and Kitlinski hail from the U.S. West Coast, Vermont and Michigan respectively. Regardless of their reasons for moving to Colorado, they, along with the rest of the Raptors, are all united in rugby, and are committed to sharing the sport and making a difference in the community they now call home.
“I wanted to serve as an Ambassador because it seemed like a great way to give back to the community of Glendale, as well as spread the word about the rugby programs,” Tordonato said. “The RITC program offers a unique opportunity to really engage with the community. Being more prominent locally, and really giving back to the city that funds our rugby program, will also help spread the word about our teams and draw more people to games to support the Raptors.”
Pacific Rugby Premiership forward Rock echoed her sentiments, and described the inclusive nature of the sport. “I wanted to serve as an ambassador because it’s such an exciting time to be a part of rugby. The sport is really picking up momentum in this country; not only is it a fast-paced, exciting game, but the culture of rugby is very positive and inclusive. Being an ambassador helps me feel connected to the growth of rugby’s popularity in this community and country, which I’m very proud to be a part of.”
The nature of any community is to be inclusive to its members. Connecting the City of Glendale, the Raptors rugby club and the Greater Denver community is a natural step forward as the sport becomes more prominent in the area, and throughout the country as a whole.