The Green Bay Packers’ game against the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday is dedicated to showing appreciation to the U.S. Military through a variety of activities in recognition of Veteran’s Day.
In conjunction with an NFL-wide Salute to Service celebration of the holiday, the Green Bay Packers and USAA are presenting an in-stadium card stunt in appreciation of veterans and military members.
Fans seated in the stadium bowl are asked to help turn Lambeau Field into a ring of stars and stripes with an accompanying message of “thank you military, thank you veterans” during the national anthem. Game attendees will find a card taped to their seat with directions indicating when to hold it up and which side to have facing up. Fans will be prompted by a group at the bottom of their sections holding up cue cards reading, “Get Ready for Stunt,” then “Go Stunt.”
USAA, the first-ever official military appreciation sponsor of the NFL, and the league developed the card stunt thank you to be used at seven other NFL games Nov. 11-15. All fans will be able to visit usaa.com/nfl to download photos to share with and thank veterans and military members.
“We’re excited to tap into the passion and enthusiasm of the Green Bay faithful to salute current and former military members and their families,” said USAA executive director of marketing Don Clark.
As a part of the NFL’s Salute to Service campaign, each player’s helmet will feature a decal representing a branch of the military. Players will also be using newly designed gloves, camouflage-branded Gatorade towels and game balls with the NFL shield camo-ribbon decal. In addition, the stadium will feature camouflaged goal post wraps, in-stadium banners and pylon decals with the words “SALUTE TO SERVICE” written on them. Game-used items will be auctioned off at NFL Auction (www.NFL.com/auction), with proceeds benefitting the league’s core military non-profit partners.
The Brown County Volunteer Center is helping place the cards and is seeking volunteers to help set up the flip cards Friday and Saturday. Interested volunteers are asked to call 920/429-9445 or sign up at http://vols.pt/ETYqne.
Other gameday activities include a pre-game on-field “living flag” representing all branches of the military and a halftime salute to Wisconsin Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Don Grundy, the recipient of the Thomas E. Wortham IV Achievement Award, which is presented to members of the Wisconsin National Guard who have distinguished themselves through outstanding support of the Guard, their local community, and the state.
The Packers and USAA will also be honoring members of the 157th Wisconsin National Guard unit that just returned home from a tour of duty in Kosovo. The soldiers will participate in pre-game activities and also be recognized on the video board at halftime. Additionally at halftime, fans will be able to salute soldiers currently stationed in Afghanistan through a live, two-way video conference on the TundraVision video boards.
In addition, the Packers and WPS will be recognizing U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Kevin Parke through Operation Fan Mail on-field prior to the national anthem, which will be performed by the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra in celebration of its 99th year in Green Bay. A flyover of Navy F-18 jets will follow.
Packers alumni John Brockington and MacArthur Lane will be recognized prior to team introductions and will also be in the Packers Pro Shop on Sunday, Nov. 3 signing autographs from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Lane will be mingling with fans in the Tundra Tailgate Zone on gameday from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. while Brockington is in the Legends Club for suite and club seat ticket holders.
A full rundown of all Lambeau Field gameday information is available online at http://www.packers.com/gameday/gameday-information.html.
