Game 9 – Warrior Wishes Come True At The Chargers Game!

My dad kicked off week 3 in San Francisco Thursday night to make Warrior Wishes come true at our 7th NFL game this season!

He made a stop in Oakland to host warriors at the A’s game Friday & stayed with some friends in the Bay Area before catching his Saturday night bus to Los Angeles.

We have made a lot of wishes come true in Los Angeles, Angels, Dodgers, Rams & the ESPYs, but never for a Chargers game…

This mission was a bit of a challenge for my dad for a couple of reasons. One Because it’s our first ever time in LA making wishes come true at a Chargers game. Secondly, he got scammed & bought fake tickets….

It always amazes me how my dad always seems to figure out how to get where he needs to be using public transportation. If you have ever traveled to an unfamiliar location & attempted to use their transportation system, it’s like learning a foreign language! Somehow my dad learns them all!

Once he figured out how to get to the stadium, which is actually located in Carson, he had to then figure out how to get new tickets because the ones he originally purchased never arrived in his email…

Both the StubHub Center box office & the LA Chargers did everything they could to resolve the issue & help track down the tickets for us, to no avail. My dad had to meet up with the warriors, so he headed off to dinner without tickets, but was confident he would find some before game time.

Today we are honored to be hosting Marine SSGT Frank Dominguez & his wife at the Chargers game.

SSGT Dominguez served in the Marine Corps for 20 years. He’s a Vietnam veteran and a Purple Heart recipient. he also worked at Camp Pendleton for the next 17 years until he had to retire because of Agent Orange. My dad couldn’t wait to meet him!

Although we have never made Warrior Wishes come true at an LA Chargers game before, we have made a lot of memories at Chargers games in San Diego over the years. Here are some of our favorite memories.

My dad met up with SSGT Dominguez & his wife for lunch before the game at Chilis just down the street from the stadium. The Chilis GM, Patrick, was there waiting for them when they arrived at 10am. Patrick & his staff went above and beyond to provide great food & great service! Everyone enjoyed getting to know each other over lunch. My dad said he really enjoyed some of the stories both he and his wife shared.

After lunch, the gang headed outside to take a picture & a gentleman with his family approached them asking if they needed tickets. It was meant to be! He sold the tickets to us for half of face value. I guess everything happens for a reason!

This worked out perfectly, because instead of my dad running around the stadium looking for tickets while SSGT Dominguez enjoyed the tailgate, it allowed my dad to hang out with him & his wife at the tailgate!

When they arrived at the Stub Hub Center, the temporary home of the Chargers, my dad asked Frank if he wanted to go in the stadium or if he wanted to go over and tailgate a little bit before the game. Initially, he said “Lets just go in”, but then my dad explained that we would be tailgating with Bolt Pride, a group of some of the Chargers ultimate fans. That’s when my dad realized just how big a fan Frank was & he became excited to go tailgate!

The entire Bolt Pride SuperFan crew “migrated” north from San Diego to keep Thunder Alley and the Chargers legacy alive and well in Los Angeles. Frank definitely wanted to meet these guys. SSGT Dominguez was recognized for his service in front of the large group of super fans. They took this awesome group photo together!

Many people individually came up to thank Frank personally. One of those people was “Boltman”

After the interaction, Frank told my dad “meeting Boltman can be checked off bucket list.” It was an unforgettable tailgating experience for frank & his wife. They told my dad “they were having a blast.” And the game hadn’t even started yet!

Unfortunately, Phillip Rivers & the Chargers dug themselves into a big hole early in the game due to a few turnovers. The Chargers had many opportunities throughout the game, but couldn’t capitalize & get the ball in the end zone. In the end, they fell short to their AFC West Rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite the loss, SSGT Dominguez & his wife enjoyed the experience & we couldn’t have made it all possible without Patrick from Chilis who donated the pregame meals, the Bolt Pride tailgate & New Era for providing Chargers caps!

TOGETHER WE MAKE WARRIOR WISHES COME TRUE!

We also want to thank both Stub Hub and Kris at the Chargers for trying to help resolve our unfortunate ticket situation. Your time was greatly appreciated!

Most importantly, we want to thank Marine SSGT Frank Dominguez for your 20+ years of dedicated service to our great country!

My dad will be taking his 2nd straight overnight bus “hotel” to Phoenix, Arizona later tonight. He will be back in action tomorrow for tomorrow making Warrio Wishes come true at the Monday night Cowboys vs Cardinals game! Stay tuned for more details.

It was an honor to host these brave warriors and make their Warrior Wishes come true. If you know a deserving warrior who would love to attend a game on our “All32in17” mission please nominate them today!