The Boston Celtics are continuing their tradition of honoring the troops.
The team is offering members of the U.S. armed forces and their families free tickets to the Pacers game on Friday, March 12. Those in attendance at the Garden will be treated to a special slam dunk event.
The third annual “Seats for Soldiers” event will allow Celtics season-ticket holders to donate their seats to the game to a member of the armed forces by logging into their account on the Celtics’ Web site. All other fans can donate tickets by calling (617) 854-8013 or sending an e-mail to seatsforsoldiers@celtics.com. Ticket prices start at $45.
Last season, more than 500 tickets were donated to Seats for Soldiers, and were given to the USO New England for distribution among the military branches. Furthermore, the Celtics will donate $10 for each ticket purchased for Seats for Soldiers to the Fisher House, which provides free or low-cost housing for veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers.
“We are proud to honor the brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces through our Seats for Soldiers program,” Boston Celtics team president Rich Gotham said. “Our fans have shown amazing generosity the last few years in donating their tickets to these courageous individuals who defend our country.”
OmniPresence, the Celtics’ official video conferencing and audio visual solutions partner, will set up a live videoconference connection during the game for members of the armed forces to watch the action at the TD Garden from the distant location where they are stationed. Additionally, the soldiers will be greeted via videoconference at 4:30 p.m. by Celtics mascot Lucky, members of the Celtics dancers and a Celtics legend.
“This will be a very unique experience,” OmniPresence CEO Tom Wing said. "In several other sporting events, we have connected our troops via videoconferencing, but during this Celtics game, we will integrate the entire game experience into the video call.”
Everyone is looking forward to the experience.
“The Seats for Soldiers program is an excellent opportunity for us to continue the USO tradition of providing first-class entertainment to our troops and their families,” USO New England executive director Jean Mallon said. “The Boston Celtic fans are among the most patriotic, and their generous support has a great impact on boosting morale.”
For more information about the event, visit the Celtics official Web site.
