ECU Ready For Military Appreciation Day Activities
November 20, 2014 | Football
GREENVILLE, N.C. - All five branches of the United States Armed Forces will be welcomed, recognized and thanked at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Saturday for Military Appreciation Day. East Carolina fans will also be able to enjoy many patriotic activities, including a game ball delivery by a professional skydiving team, an up-close look at military displays and participation in a first-ever card stunt.
The Pirates will host Tulane for an American Athletic Conference battle beginning at 3:30 p.m.
As part of its annual "Tickets For Troops" initiative, over 6,500 tickets have been donated to active military members stationed around the region at Camp LeJeune, Fort Bragg and New River Air Station. In addition, National Guard members and veterans living at the Wounded Warrior Project were also invited to attend the game as special guests.
Through a generous sponsorship by the American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA), a complimentary tailgate for immediate family members of deployed North Carolina soldiers will be celebrated at Clark-LeClair Stadium from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. AAFMAA and ECU will provide plenty of food, bounce houses, face painters and other activities for children to express appreciation to an expected group of over 600 individuals.
"We are excited to continue to make our annual Military Appreciation Day even bigger and better this year and it simply would not have been possible without the support of AAFMAA," ECU Associate Athletics Director for External Operations Shelley Binegar said. "We cannot thank them enough for what they have done to not only support our troops, but also their families."
Prior to the game, fans can get a detailed look at various military displays and vehicles that will be located adjacent to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and nearby parking areas. Included in the lineup this year will be a mini-F22 Raptor, two Hummers and a Rock Wall.
FastTrax Skydiving, a world-renowned skydiving team based out of Middletown, Ohio, will help get the contest started with a three-man parachute jump that will deliver the game ball to Bagwell Field at 3:10 p.m.
While Ruffin McNeill's program will continue its pre-game tradition of running out on the field with the United States flag, the ECU flag and the American Conference flag, the Pirates will also carry banners representing each of the five military branches. A family from each branch has been selected to receive the respective flags, which will be handed off in the Boneyard endzone.
For the first time in the recent history of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, fans seated in Sections 3 through 9 will have the opportunity to participate in a card stunt coordinated by Kivett Productions. Over 10,000 people will be involved in creating a unique message thanking our military.
Inductees of the ECU Distinguished Military Service Society, who are being honored Friday night during a banquet at the Greenville Hilton, as well as other dignitaries from military bases and installations around the state, will also be recognized during halftime.
