Wofford to host Salute to Service game this Saturday at Gibbs Stadium
Wofford College will honor the men and women of the military at this Saturday's home football game against Appalachian State at Gibbs Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:30 pm. Here is a rundown of the many special events and recognitions planned:
TICKETS
All active duty military and veterans from any service branch as well as their family members may purchase a half priced ticket for Saturday's game! Tickets for military families are $15.00 and children of military families under the age of 12 are eligible for a free ticket! Please purchase before 5:00 pm, Friday, November 15 by calling our special military family ticket hotline at 864-597-4465 or come to the ticket booth underneath the videoboard at Gibbs Stadium on gameday and show a military ID to receive the these discounts. The ticket booth at Gibbs Stadium opens at 11:30 am on Saturday. For special package pricing for high school JROTC programs, please call the phone number noted above and ask for marketing and ticket operations assistant, Estee Arend.
GIVING BACK: STUFF THE TRUCK and LETTERS FROM HOME
Wofford and Appalachian State fans are encouraged to give back to our military at Saturday's game. Just inside Gate 4 on the home side plaza the Patriot Guard will be collecting donations of toiletry items to be shipped to service men and women overseas. All fans are encouraged to donate items that are "airplane travel size" (bar soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, lotion, shaving cream, toothbrushes, etc.) and place in a clear bag as per airport security protocol. These items will be placed in a Ford pickup truck from Vic Bailey Ford in Spartanburg as we try to "Stuff the truck" full of donations to be shipped to our service men and women all over the world.
Also, inside Gate 4 on the home side AND inside Gate 5 on the visitors side will be a "Letters from Home" station where fans can write a note of encouragement and thanks to a service member overseas. These letters will have the Wofford and Appalachian State logos as well as the game date on them so the service members know that the fans at Saturday's game were thinking of them. These tables will be manned by the youth from Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church in Hickory Grove, SC.
IN-GAME RECOGNITIONS AND HONORS
At halftime, Wofford Army ROTC will have six cadets take the Army ROTC oath committing them to commissioning into the United States Army upon graduation.
The College will also officially receive a very special gift from the family of Wofford graduate Major General Forrest Anderson Abbott, Class of 1942, as his military uniform is being donated to the College. Major General Abbott passed away on August 13, 2013.
Throughout the game, there will be special messages from military members overseas played over the TerrierVision videoboard.
Senior Wofford Army ROTC cadet Laura Simmerson will sing our National Anthem and Wofford Army ROTC Cadet Matthew Pettit will sing the Wofford College alma mater pregame as well.
SPECIAL DISPLAYS
Outside the stadium along Cumming Street fans will be able to get an up close and personal look at a number of vintage military vehicles and weaponry including Jeeps and personnel carriers.
The South Carolina Army National Guard will have a rock climbing wall for fans to test their skills on set up outside Gate 4. When you get to the top of the wall, you would be able to look into the stadium.
Plus, there will be a display with Military OneSource materials and a military family assistance specialist will be on-site along with a mobile center from Veterans Affairs Outreach.
For the kids, Wofford Army ROTC will turn TerrierLand's "1st and Goal mini football field" into a special military style obstacle course! Families are encouraged to come by and check out the obstacle course at TerrierLand from 11:30am to 1:00 pm.
TERRIER WALK
All Wofford Army ROTC alumni, all military veterans, active duty military and high school JROTC programs are encouraged to participate in the "Terrier Walk" parade into the stadium prior to kickoff. To participate, please contact Estee Arend at 864-597-4465 or meet on the Brittain Family Plaza in front of the Joe E. Taylor Center on Cumming Street at 12:30 pm. Terrier Walk begins at 12:50 pm and marches onto the field.
(update) US ARMY SILVER WINGS
Unfortunately, contrary to our original release, the US Army Silver Wings will be unable to attend. This update from Washington, DC came down Tuesday afternoon and was out of the control of anyone associated with Wofford College or Wofford Army ROTC.
For more information or with questions about Salute To Service day at Wofford, call 864-597-4465.
More about Military OneSource…
Military OneSource is a Department of Defense-funded program providing comprehensive information on every aspect of military life at no cost to active duty, Guard and reserve service members, and their families. Information includes, but is not limited to, deployment, reunion, relationship, grief, spouse employment and education, parenting and child care, and much more. Military OneSource has policy and programmatic information, helpful resources, products, articles and tips on numerous topics related to military life. Services are available 24 hours a day by telephone and online. In addition to the website support, Military OneSource offers call center and online support for consultations on a number of issues such as spouse education and career opportunities, issues specific to families with a member with special needs, health coaching, financial support and resources. Military OneSource also offers non-medical counseling services online, via telephone, or face to face. Eligible individuals may receive non-medical counseling addressing issues requiring short-term attention, including everyday stressors, deployment and reintegration concerns, parenting, grief and loss, and marital problems as well as assistance with financial management, taxes, career services, health and wellness, and much more. This personalized support is available 24/7 no matter where you live or serve
More about the mobile VA center…
The mobile Vet centers will increase access to readjustment counseling services for Veterans and their families in rural and underserved communities across the country.
These customized vehicles – which are equipped with confidential counseling space and a state of the art communication package—travel to communities to extend VA's reach to Veterans, servicemembers and their families, especially those living in rural or remote communities.
The vehicles also serve as part of the VA emergency response program.
Mobile Vet units are equipped as "offices on wheels," with the capacity to provide emergency support for natural disasters. Each motor coach houses a satellite dish that connects to communications and audio-visual equipment, six phone lines, a fax line, notebook computers, four encrypted computer lines and a wireless network.
http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/20120117a.asp
