Game 33 – Warrior Wishes Come True At Heinz Field Again!

While I was out trick or treating in the snow with the family…

My dad was enjoying the beautiful weather in Arizona as he kicked off week 9 of our mission at the Cardinals game, our 32nd NFL game this season!

My dad returned from 90 degree temps in Phoenix to snow back home in Chicago.

On Friday, while my dad caught up on some sleep, Xander and I attended a Cub Scouts meeting where we wrote letters to the troops, learned about the American flag and even made some pretty cool dog tags! The whole Cub Scout troop also collected leftover Halloween candy to send to deployed soldiers!

I dropped my dad off at the bus station on Saturday after work and he made his way to the airport to catch his evening flight to Pittsburgh.

If you have been keeping up with us, which can be hard to do… you probably are wondering why we chose to have 3 Steelers games on our schedule. The answer is easy. The Steelers are one of the most popular teams in the NFL and we get a lot of nominations to see them. Here are some of the 2019 memories we have made in Pittsburgh this season.

My dad arrived in the “Steel City” after 11pm. So instead of booking a hotel, he found a cozy couch at the airport and curled up for the night.

First thing Sunday morning he made his way downtown to meet up with the warriors for our pregame meal, courtesy of Bugatory.

Burgatory is a friendly little joint that makes one Helluva burgers and heavenly shakes. So, whether you’re digging into one of their custom burgers or slurping one of theur ridiculously thick shakes, they are going to bring you a dining experience that’s pretty close to heaven. Burg story is located down the street from Heinz field and even has a location in the stadium! It’s a great place to grab a bite to eat before, during and after Steelers games!

Today we had the honor of hosting Marine Cpl Gary Meyers, Navy veteran, Dayna Myers and Army Spc Robert Hollowood at the Steelers game.

Cpl. Gary Myers served in the United States Marine Corp from 2002-2010. He deployed in 2004 during Operation Enduring Freedom And again in 2005 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was an honor to show him our appreciation for his service at this game!

Gary originally had planned to bring his uncle, retired USAF MSgt Ron Bunger as his guest. Ron served 24 years! But unfortunately he injured his knee at the last minute and was unable to make it. So Gary’s mom, Dayna, stepped in and took his place. Dayna also proudly served our country in the Navy for 20 years!

Robert Hollowood served in the US Army. He was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany as a cannon crew member. And deployed to Iraq in 2006 where he served as infantry (11b) on a15 month deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Robert’s a big Pittsburgh sports fan and it’s an honor to make this warrior’s wish come true!

The group enjoyed getting to know each other over lunch before the game.

Eventually they made their way over to Heinz field to watch the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers kick things off.

Heinz field is an awesome stadium. We took a tour of the stadium a few years ago. My favorite characteristic of the stadium is the Great Hall. It’s filled with Steelers memorabilia and history, including their Lombardi trophies! They also have a wall of Terrible Towels, a staple of every Steelers fan.

The warriors enjoyed the game from their front row seats in the upper deck, which provided a great view of an exciting game!  The game was close the entire time. Neither team ever took a 2 score lead throughout the game. The Colts has a big opportunity early on, but a 96 yard interception returned for a touchdown saved the day for the Steelers.

With the Steelers up 26-24 and just over a minute left in the game, Colts Kicker, Adam Vinatieri Dan our onto the field to attempt a 43 yard field goal to take the lead. But he missed wide left and the warriors celebrated a Steelers win!  In the words of Tiffany Hollowood, Robert’s wife, “They had a blast!”

Operation Warrior Wishes would like to thank Marine Cpl Gary Meyers, Navy veteran Dayna Myers and Army Spc Robert Hollowood for their selfless service and sacrifices!

After the game my dad made his way over to the bus station to catch his overnight “hotel” to New York. We will be back in the city where our mission began making Warrior Wishes come true at the Monday night Giants game! Stay tuned..