Game 6 – Warrior Wishes Come True At The Giants Game!

My dad kicked off week 2 of our 2017 “All32in17” mission in Pittsburgh on Thursday night & hosted 2 inspiring warriors at the Steelers game.

After the game, he hopped on an overnight bus to New York and arrived just outside of Times Square at 6:15am. When I asked how the ride was, he said “What Bus?” As he slept the whole entire ride.

We have to do a lot of logistic coordination to make our mission work. From coordinating the transportation, to contacting the warriors, setting up dinners, meeting locations and ensuring we have enough tickets, it can be challenging! It’s definitely not easy, but we somehow always seem to make it work. Thankfully my dad has some “free time” on the road & does his best to stay 2 weeks ahead. He spent his entire morning & afternoon hanging out in NYC tying up loose ends and planning future missions.

He was able to take a break and stopped at the 9-11 memorial & museum to pay his respects & hoped to go up into the new One World observatory. However, due to the heavy fog and less than ideal weather, they were not sending anyone up… I guess he will have to wait until next time

My dad made his way to the Meadowlands at around 3pm to prepare to make Wishes come true at MetLife Stadium.

Over the years we have made some incredible memories making Wishes come true at Giants games!

Today we had the honor of hosting Army Sgt John DeMarco, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Michael Falco (Vietnam Veteran) & Army SPC Brian Dilberian at the Giants game. My dad met up with SGT DeMarco & his father in Law, Vietnam Veteran, Michael Falco at Redds before the game for a little surprise.

John nominated his father in law for the experience & he had no clue he was going to be going to the game. He thought he was at the bar to just watch the game. But my dad thanked Michael for his service & surprised him with tickets! Needless to say, he was extremely grateful & excited for the opportunity.

We want to thank Doug Palsi and his family owned bar (Redd’s) who has been helping us make warrior wishes come true over the past 4 years! They provide an invaluable service to both Jets and Giants fans before and after Jets & Giants Games. Parking, Tailgating & shuttle service to the stadium! We cannot thank them enough for their support!

It’s always a special honor when we have the opportunity to host Vietnam veterans. My dad really enjoyed getting to know Michael & hearing some of his stories. He also shared some photos with him as well.

Our other guest Army SPC Bryan Dilberian was not going to arrive until 6:15, so the guys hopped on the Redds shuttle to the stadium & made their way over to our friend, Ed Salomeh’s, tailgate to have some fun before kickoff.

Our friend Ed & his tailgate crew have literally been there helping us make Wishes come true since day one! From our very first mission on September 5th, 2012 until today, they have helped us create once in a lifetime memories for every warrior we have ever hosted at the Giants game. We are truly thankful for their support!

My dad introduced John & Michael to Ed & his crew. They enjoyed some delicious food & snapped pictures with a Giants wrestling belt while waiting for SPC Dilberian to arrive.

While the guys were having fun at the tailgate, my dad made his way back to Redds to meet up with Bryan and escort him to the tailgate. Bryan was actually our guest last year to the Jets game. Jets owner, Woody Johnson actually helped build his adaptive home. Deep down, Bryan is a Giants fan, but cheers for all New York teams.

Back at the tailgate, my dad introduced Bryan to the gang & they all enjoyed getting to know one another. We also had the pleasure of meeting Sgt Eddie Sierra at the tailgate too. He hung out with us most of the night and we hope to host him. at a future event.

Ed, as he always does, surprised the warriors with Giants themed gift bags filled with memorabilia including New Era caps & new authentic jerseys!

Former Giant and Patriot defensive back, Brandon Merriweather also stopped by the tailgate to thank the warriors for their service! The guys were pretty excited to meet him.

On an absolutely beautiful night in New York, the warriors eventually made their way inside MetLife stadium to their great seats on the mezzanine level to watch the Lions & Giants kickoff.

Unfortunately, the Giants offense continued to struggle and they fell to the Lions by the score of 24-10.

Despite the loss, the warriors had a great overall experience thanks to Ed, his brother & their entire tailgate crew. From the tickets to the memorabilia to the friendships & food, you guys truly know how to create once in a lifetime memories for the warriors. We cannot thank you guys enough for your continued support!

Operation warrior Wishes would also like to thank New Era for providing new Giants Caps to the warriors & Redd’s for providing parking & shuttle service to the stadium

TOGETHER WE MAKE WARRIOR WISHES COME TRUE!

Most importantly, we want to thank Army SPC Bryan Dilberian, Army Sgt Johnny DeMarco, Navy Vietnam Veteran Michael Falco & Sgt Eddie Sierra for their service, sacrifices & dedication to the United States of America! We Salute You!

After the game, my dad thanked the warriors one last time & made his way to Laguardia to catch his early morning flight back to Chicago to spend a couple days home with the family before heading west for next weeks 49ers, Chargers & Cardinals games! 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!