The New York Rangers Make Warrior Wishes Come True!
Over the past 6 days, my dad has been on the road making warrior wishes come true at 7 games in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York, Philadelphia & Boston! He’s spent a lot of time on the bus but says it’s all worth it when he sees the smiles on the Warriors faces!
Immediately following last nights Bruins game, my dad hopped on the bus to get some sleep & woke up around 5am back in New York City.
Throughout the years, we have enjoyed making Wishes come true in the big apple!
And much like my dad, it’s a city that never sleeps. Upon arrival he made his way over to Times Square to see what was going on at Good Morning America.
He then made his way over to the Westin Times Square. The Westin Times Square is where our mission began almost 5 years ago on September 5th, 2012.
We never imagined it would have turned into what it has today, but Omar, an employee at the Westin told us we were about to embark on something special & he couldn’t have been more right. I will never my conversation with Omar on the escalator in the hotel. I didn’t really understand what he was telling me, but I get it now. He has believed in our mission from day 1! We can’t thank him enough for his support! It’s an honor to call him a friend. Every time we are in NYC, we always stop by to say hi & catch up.
With freezing cold temperatures on a windy day, my dad did his best to stay inside. It’s too bad, because there is so much to do & see around the city…
Today we are proud to be hosting Army CPL Johnny Laursen & Marine Jeffrey Laum at the New York Rangers game. My dad braved the cold & walked a few blocks down the street to the world famous Madison Square Garden.
He met up with the Warriors for lunch before the game at “Local,” a restaurant located right across the street from the “Garden.” It’s the place to go before and after any event at Madison Square Garden. Especially in the summer. They have a great rooftop bar, which was unfortunately closed because of the weather… Local had helped us make wishes come true in the past & we thank them again for hosting everyone for a delicious meal before the game!
My dad enjoyed getting to know the Warriors over dinner. Upon arrival, CPL Laursen presented my dad with a USA Warriors Challenge coin. It’s always a humbling honor when we receive coins. He had met Johnny before, because he is the Goalie for the USA warriors Hockey team. However, this was the first time we have had the opportunity to host SGT Laursen other than at lunch when the USA warriors played in Chicago.
Johnny also told my dad that his team would be in Columbus this Friday to play a game. Randomly, my dad also had plans to be in Columbus on the same day. And since the Blue Jackets game wasn’t until Saturday, it was a scheduled “day off” for him. My dad told Johnny he would be there & was excited to have the opportunity to watch him in action!
As I mentioned before, the Local is literally steps away from Madison Square Garden. So after everyone filled up, they walked across the street to snap a couple pictures outside the stadium, before heading inside to warm up.
Once inside, the guys picked up a couple souvenirs for their kids. They met up David from the Rangers. David provided the Warriors a little tour of the facility and escorted them down by the glass for the Pre Game warm ups. It was an awesome experience!
Eventually everyone made their way up to their seats before the game. The Rangers gave the warriors a score board shout out during the game, but Unfortunately they fell short against the Islanders by the score of 3-2. Despite the loss, everyone had a great time!
Operation Warrior Wishes would like to thank to David & the New York Rangers for providing the great seats, the scoreboard message & an overall awesome experience! We also want to thank Jason at the Local for the pregame meal & New Era Cap for providing Rangers caps to the Warriors!
TOGETHER WE MAKE WARRIOR WISHES COME TRUE!
Most importantly, we want to thank Jeffrey & Johnny for their service & sacrifices!
Immediately following the game, my dad walked down the street to catch his 11:30pm bus to Washington DC where he will be making Warrior Wishes come true at the Capitals game tomorrow. Stay tuned for more details!
