FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Tina Rodriguez, founder of the Beloved Survivors Trauma Recovery Center, has been named an NFL Super Bowl 60 Unsung Hero and will attend the Super Bowl as a guest of the league.
Rodriguez learned of the honor during a surprise presentation recognizing her work with victims of crime, specifically victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
During the announcement, her impact on underserved communities was highlighted before the invitation was revealed.
“Tina, for all the sacrifices, all the work and the way you’ve changed lives, we wanted to see… I don’t know what you’re doing this weekend, but we wanted to see if you’d come and be our guest at the Super Bowl?” NFL comissioner Roger Goodell said.
On Thursday, Rodriguez was formally nominated as an NFL Super Bowl 60 Unsung Hero, an honor recognizing individuals whose work often takes place outside the public spotlight.
“It is a testament that we are making a difference that we strive to make. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you, thank you,” Rodriguez said.
She said the experience represents more than attending a major sporting event.
“To be able to just be there and represent the Central Valley, but most importantly, to show up as a survivor myself, it’s very humbling,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the road to the Super Bowl began more than a month earlier with an unexpected email.
“And I deleted it because I thought it was a scam,” she said.
The email was resent and deleted again before she received a follow-up phone call.
“I got a phone call and it was a representative from the NFL that assured me this was not a scam,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said her advocacy is shaped by her own experience, transitioning from victim to survivor to expert.
In 2020, she founded the Beloved Survivors Trauma Recovery Center, which now operates five locations across the Valley, providing support, intervention and prevention education.
She said representation as a Latina, an advocate and a Valley native remains central to what the recognition means to her.
“To be there when Bad Bunny is going to be there – I mean it could not be, I got chills just saying that right now,” Rodriguez said.
While Super Bowl tickets are often associated with a high price tag, Rodriguez said the opportunity itself is priceless.
“…to amplify the voices of survivors that have the greatest need and the least support,” she said.
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