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NFL Offers LGBT Businesses Opportunity During Bay Area's Super Bowl 50 Festivities

SANTA CLARA (KCBS)— In a new program being rolled out this week, the NFL is expanding its outreach to include LGBT businesses for contracting opportunities during the 50th anniversary Super Bowl.

The event will be played February 7th at the 49er's new Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, but many lead-up activities will be in San Francisco, considered to be an epicenter of gay-rights activism.

Nathan Ballard, a spokesman for the Super Bowl 50 host committee, said the NFL already targets small businesses owned by people of color, women, and disabled veterans through its Business Connect program, which lines up local vendors for the big game.

According to Ballard, LGBT business owners in the Bay Area are excited about being added to that list.

"We're making history by expanding our outreach on contracting opportunities for Super Bowl 50 to businesses owned by LGBT business owners and its fitting that its happening here right in the birthplace of marriage equality and such a large LGBT community," he said.

Two Business Connect workshops in Santa Clara and San Francisco next week will introduce prospective vendors to the bidding process.

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