SAN DIEGO, CA (September 3, 2014) – Hundreds of Americans 50+ have geared up to donate their time as AARP hosts a multitude of volunteer opportunities at its biannual Ideas@50+ National Event & Expo in San Diego, from September 4-6.  Attendees will discover their real possibilities by contributing to community service activities including the packing of 50,000 meals for Drive to End Hunger and local community service events.  Ideas@50+ kicks off on Thursday, September 4 with a Day of Service.  Attendees at AARP’s Ideas@50+ can volunteer on any of the national event’s three days to pack meals for the Drive to End Hunger event sponsored by the AARP^® Credit Card from Chase or at other events taking place to benefit the San Diego area.  The three-day Drive to End Hunger meal-packing event will have ten, one-hour shifts where hundreds of volunteers will pack 50,000 meals for hungry San Diegans served by the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. This is just one part of the AARP Credit Card from Chase’s pledge to donate more than 100,000 meals in 2014 to benefit older Americans. Chase will also give up to $1 million to Drive to End Hunger this year by donating $0.25 to AARP Foundation for every restaurant purchase made with the AARP Credit Card from Chase.  

“The San Diego Community Day of Service offers members and others an opportunity to discover real possibilities in their lives and in the San Diego area through volunteer efforts in the local community,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, AARP Foundation president.  “Giving back to the people of San Diego enriches the lives of both those in need and those who volunteer, and we look forward to the opportunity to serve.”

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Thursday, September 4, 2014

• 8:00am: AARP kicks off Ideas@50+ with a Community Day of Service rally at the San Diego Convention Center before some head out to the San Diego area to volunteer. AARP’s Men’s Life Ambassador and NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Marino, AARP Travel Ambassador and Travel Channel’s host of Great Weekends Samantha Brown, AARP Love and Relationship Ambassador Dr. Pepper Schwartz, and more than 300 Ideas@50+ attendees will give their time and effort to various community organizations in the San Diego area. 
• 9:00am to 1:00pm (on-site): The following projects will happen at the San Diego Convention Center in Room 20ABC:
  • 125 volunteers will create and assemble Full of Joy Gift boxes that will be boxed with a seasonal bow to bring cheer to hundreds of local San Diego seniors
  • 75 volunteers will create learning aids such as book covers and flash cards for children served by two San Diego-based agencies
  • 50 volunteers will create lap desks for low-income children and seniors living in San Diego. This will provide children and seniors with a desk to call their own.
  • 50 volunteers will assemble skateboards for youth living in urban and diverse neighborhoods of San Diego
• 9:00am to 1:00pm (off-site): Volunteers from The Hartford and AARP will work with Rebuilding Together to provide critical repairs and improve the home of Mr. Daniel Jackson, a San Diego native who lives in the modest childhood home, creating a safe and healthy living environment.  Mr. Jackson, who is 76 years old, is a legendary tenor saxophonist suffering from lung cancer. The project will also bring out close friend, actor and musician Ben Vereen. The Hartford is the sole sponsor for the Rebuilding Together volunteer event.
• 1:00pm-6:00pm: Attendees can donate blood at the American Red Cross Blood Drive located on the Exhibit Floor (Booth #4307). Their goal is to collect 50 pints of blood during their two-day drive at the convention.
• 2:00pm to 5:00pm: Meal-packing begins as Ideas@50+ volunteers on the Exhibit Hall floor at the San Diego Convention Center assemble meals to be delivered to the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. There will also be a 25k check presentation from AARP Foundation to the San Diego Food Bank.
• 4:30pm: AARP Ambassador Dan Marino will hold a football clinic at the Payne Family Branch National City Boys & Girls Club with 50 children. 

Friday, September 5, 2014

• 11:00am-5:00pm: Attendees can donate blood at the American Red Cross Blood Drive located on the Exhibit Floor (Booth #4307)
• 1:00pm to 4:00 pm:  Meal-packing continues for the second straight day as Ideas@50+ volunteers on the Exhibit Hall Floor at the San Diego Convention Center assemble 50,000 meals to be delivered to the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

• 9:30am to 11:30am:  Meal-packing continues for the third straight day as Ideas@50+ volunteers on the Exhibit Hall Floor at the San Diego Convention Center assemble meals to be delivered to the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

Other AARP volunteer projects in addition to the meal-packing event and the Exhibit Hall on Thursday’s Community Day of Service will benefit:

• American Red Cross
• Barrio Logan College Institute
• Rebuilding Together
• Serving Seniors
• Tony Hawk Foundation
• Voices for Children

Registration Admission to Ideas@50+ for AARP members is $25, $35 for non-members (includes a one-year AARP membership). The entry fee includes access to the Exhibit Floor and workshops/sessions for all three days. Online registration, additional information on Ideas@50+, as well as the complete schedule can all be found at www.aarp.org/events.  Registration is also open by phone at 1-800-650-6839.  On Twitter #ideasat50 is the @AARP and @AARPMedia hashtag for the member event.

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About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org;AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

Media Contacts:

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Charlotte Castillo

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@AARPMedia