The countdown for the NFL’s 45^th showdown is triggering the fever… for football and philanthropy. As Super Bowl XLV inches closer, many of football’s distinguished stars are rallying to raise support for charity.

Big Game Big Give is giving art enthusiasts a chance to raise philanthropic funds as they bid on one-of-a-kind works from highly recognized artists such as Michael Kalish, JD Miller, Burton Morris and Phil Romano. Works from these artists can be found in the collections of Muhammad Ali, Jennifer Aniston, John Travolta, Warner Brothers, Disney and Nike. The Giving Back Fund and The Troy Aikman Foundation are sponsoring the auction. Fox Sports analyst and former football great Troy Aikman will host the opening reception Friday, Feb. 4.

The NFL Super Bowl Celebrity Bowling Classic is celebrating its largest fundraising event in the organization’s history as the tournament debuts in Dallas, the “Bowling Capital of the World.” Former Steelers wide receiver and Hall of Famer Lynn Swann will host the classic, which will include more than 60 legendary NFL stars and Pro Football Hall of Fame members like Keith Byars, Marlin Briscoe, Hank Bauer and Randy Cross. The event will support the NFL Charities, a non-profit that has granted more than $120 million to nearly 650 organizations. The NFL greats will also lead a private bowling clinic for local at-risk children before the charitable competition.

Partygoers can give back at “The Best Party in Texas,” a fundraiser scheduled for Super Bowl weekend. The event – hosted by the Jose Feliciano Foundation and Gridiron Greats Assitance Fund – marks the first-ever pre-game party in the history of the Super Bowl to donate 100 percent of its profits to charity. Benefactors include the CDS Communication Service for the Deaf, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Habitat for Humanity, Wednesdays Child and the Leanne Novacek Memorial.

Even the city of Indianapolis is catching the fever early and thinking ahead. The 2012 Super Bowl host city just secured a $120,000 grant to install recycling bins around downtown in preparation for the next year’s super bowl crowds.