The Indians Roll Out The Red Carpet!
After hosting warriors at the Cincinnati Reds game on Thursday…
My dad hitched a ride with Jason from VETS inc. & stayed overnight in Wooster, OH. He spent Friday morning helping Jason distribute flags all over the town in preparation for the upcoming Flag day & 4th of July celebrations. After distributing the flags, Jason & my dad hopped in the car & made their way to Cleveland. On the way they made a pit stop in Canton to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
They took a quick tour of the Hall & got to see the new stadium. It looks a lot nicer than the high school stadium they used to use…
We will be back in Canton in August to make Warrior Wishes come true during “Enshrinement Weekend.” Nominate your hero today!
My dad wishes they could have stayed at Hall of Fame longer, but they had to get on the road to meet warriors at Rock N Roll Hall of Fame by 1pm.
Upon arrival at the Rock and Roll hall of fame, my dad & Jason met up with Army Sgt Josh Geartz, Air Force Sgt Roger Strade and the Gold Star Family of Army Cpl Stephen McGowan.
While touring the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, everyone got to know each other. My dad learned more about Sgt Geartz mission. He has been riding a bike 22 miles a day for the past few weeks in support of 422 for 22, a songwriting retreat organization. You can follow his mission by clicking on the image below.
After learning a little about music, each other and listening to some iconic tunes, everyone walked down the street to Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians. Josh and Lauren from the Indians met us at the Media Gate. They went above and beyond to provide the warriors & their families an unforgettable experience & displayed incredible hospitality the entire night!
Once everyone checked in & got their credentials the group was escorted down onto the field. They parked us in a special area located directly in front of the dugout! This made it very easy for players to stop by to say hi and show their appreciation for the warriors service and sacrifices.
Almost every player stopped by, including Cody Allen, Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley and Francisco Lindor! Many signed autographs and took pics with the group. It was an incredible experience!
The group got to watch Batting Practice from the field before getting escorted to the seats.
My dad snuck out of the stadium during the game to meet up with Corwyn Collier, an inspirational warrior that we were honored to be hosting at game 4 of the NBA finals next door at the Quicken Loans Arena.
In the 3rd inning, the Indians recognized the group on the Jumbotron & shared pictures and video of them enjoying their time hanging out with the players on the field before the game.
The team put the icing on the cake when they beat the white Sox by the score of 7-3 and everyone got to enjoy fireworks after the game!
My dad stuck around outside to watch game 4 of the NBA finals on the big TV located in between Progressive field and the Quicken Loans Arena. It was a What a crazy sports night in the City of Cleveland as both the Indians & Cavs won their games.
Operation Warrior Wishes would like to thank Josh, Lauren & the Cleveland Indians for rolling out the red carpet & providing a truly amazing unforgettable experience that these warriors and their families will never forget! We also want to thank Greg & Ryan at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame for giving us the opportunity to “rock out” with the warriors before the game, Jason at Vets Inc for partnering up with us to make these wishes come true & New Era Cap for providing Indians caps to the warriors & their families!
TOGETHER WE MAKE WARRIOR WISHES COME TRUE!
Most importantly, we want to show our appreciation to Army Sgt Josh Geartz, Air Force Sgt Roger Strade and the Gold Star Family of Army Cpl. Stephen McGowan. We are forever grateful for your selfless service & sacrifices. We will never forget!
After a great night in Cleveland, my dad and Jason made their way back to the parking garage where they parked & found that the garage had closed up until Monday. Jason’s car & my dad’s belongings were stuck inside. But the show must go on… my dad had to leave his stuff behind & made his way to the bus station, while Jason called a friend to pick him up. My dad will be in Pittsburgh tomorrow to make Warrior Wishes come true at the Pirates game. Stay tuned for more details.
Nominate your Hero for an upcoming game on our “Battlefields to Ballfields” mission.
