Orioles, Bobcats team up to honor military veterans
Orioles, Bobcats team up to honor military veterans 8/25/2015
Original Article Here It will be "Veterans Day" in a way Sunday at Livonia's Bentley Field, which will host an extraordinary display of teamwork between two Western Lakes Junior Football League rivals. Throughout the day's season-opening four match-ups featuring the host Livonia Orioles and Novi Bobcats, military veterans will be recognized and honored with a series of special events and fund-raisers. The games are set to begin at 9 a.m. with a flag-football encounter between the two programs. The freshmen showdown will kick-off at 11 a.m. followed by the junior-varsity game at 1 p.m. and the varsity match-up at 3 p.m. Weather permitting, the game balls for the JV and varsity contests will be delivered by parachutists. Monetary and other types of donations will be accepted throughout the day – 100 percent of which will go to the Michigan Wounded and Returning Warrior Program and Michigan Military Moms. Items to help make up care packages for veterans overseas will be accepted, including individual drink mixes, power bars, individual canned fruits, coffee, sun screen, bug spray and travel-sized shampoo, deodorant, tissues and soap products. Players and parents from the Orioles and Bobcats joined forces to sell over 200 camouflage-themed T-shirts, the proceeds from which will be donated directly to the two organizations. The public is invited to watch the games and support the veterans. [email protected]
Livonia Orioles, Novi Bobcats salute military veterans 9/3/2015
A representative from Skydive Tecumseh delivered the game ball prior to Sunday’s varsity contest between the Livonia Orioles and Novi Bobcats. (Photo: ED WRIGHT)
Original Article Here The all-American combination of football and patriotism made for a memorable event Sunday afternoon at Livonia Bentley Field. Thanks to a collaborative effort by the host Livonia Orioles – in particular Rick and Carie Woodall – and the Novi Bobcats, Sunday's Western Lakes Junior Football League games were splashed in red, white, blue and camouflage to honor military veterans and the men and women who are currently serving in the armed forces. Included in the day’s highlights was the delivery of the game footballs for the junior varsity and varsity contests by representatives of Skydive Tecumseh, who floated onto the field underneath American flagcolored parachutes. The afternoon was also a special one for the nonprofit organization Michigan Military Moms, which set up a fundraising booth near the entrance to the stadium. "Today's event was great, phenomenal," raved Michigan Military Moms founder Gary Tanner, whose organization's booth featured a camouflage-colored football helmet. "It's important to instill knowledge and patriotism in our younger generation because they need to understand that freedom is not free. "Each generation – including these players out on the field today – has to know they have a responsibility to take care of the freedom that was given to them. I can't thank all those who invited out here today enough for what they've done for our organization and its members." The Bobcats and Orioles families joined forces earlier this summer to sell camouflage-themed T-shirts, with all the proceeds going directly to Michigan Military Moms. "One-hundred percent of the donations we receive go directly to the Michigan military families," Tanner emphasized. "Among the things we provide are family retreats for military personnel who are suffering from post-traumatic stress, and we offer emergency hardship financial assistant to those who are in need. "We are not funded by the government, so this is how we raise our money – by groups like the Orioles and Bobcats holding special events like this today." The Bobcats prevailed over the Orioles on the gridiron Sunday afternoon, but the final scores took a back-seat to the patriotism that was exhibited throughout the players and their families.
Original Article Here It will be "Veterans Day" in a way Sunday at Livonia's Bentley Field, which will host an extraordinary display of teamwork between two Western Lakes Junior Football League rivals. Throughout the day's season-opening four match-ups featuring the host Livonia Orioles and Novi Bobcats, military veterans will be recognized and honored with a series of special events and fund-raisers. The games are set to begin at 9 a.m. with a flag-football encounter between the two programs. The freshmen showdown will kick-off at 11 a.m. followed by the junior-varsity game at 1 p.m. and the varsity match-up at 3 p.m. Weather permitting, the game balls for the JV and varsity contests will be delivered by parachutists. Monetary and other types of donations will be accepted throughout the day – 100 percent of which will go to the Michigan Wounded and Returning Warrior Program and Michigan Military Moms. Items to help make up care packages for veterans overseas will be accepted, including individual drink mixes, power bars, individual canned fruits, coffee, sun screen, bug spray and travel-sized shampoo, deodorant, tissues and soap products. Players and parents from the Orioles and Bobcats joined forces to sell over 200 camouflage-themed T-shirts, the proceeds from which will be donated directly to the two organizations. The public is invited to watch the games and support the veterans. [email protected]
Livonia Orioles, Novi Bobcats salute military veterans 9/3/2015
A representative from Skydive Tecumseh delivered the game ball prior to Sunday’s varsity contest between the Livonia Orioles and Novi Bobcats. (Photo: ED WRIGHT)
Original Article Here The all-American combination of football and patriotism made for a memorable event Sunday afternoon at Livonia Bentley Field. Thanks to a collaborative effort by the host Livonia Orioles – in particular Rick and Carie Woodall – and the Novi Bobcats, Sunday's Western Lakes Junior Football League games were splashed in red, white, blue and camouflage to honor military veterans and the men and women who are currently serving in the armed forces. Included in the day’s highlights was the delivery of the game footballs for the junior varsity and varsity contests by representatives of Skydive Tecumseh, who floated onto the field underneath American flagcolored parachutes. The afternoon was also a special one for the nonprofit organization Michigan Military Moms, which set up a fundraising booth near the entrance to the stadium. "Today's event was great, phenomenal," raved Michigan Military Moms founder Gary Tanner, whose organization's booth featured a camouflage-colored football helmet. "It's important to instill knowledge and patriotism in our younger generation because they need to understand that freedom is not free. "Each generation – including these players out on the field today – has to know they have a responsibility to take care of the freedom that was given to them. I can't thank all those who invited out here today enough for what they've done for our organization and its members." The Bobcats and Orioles families joined forces earlier this summer to sell camouflage-themed T-shirts, with all the proceeds going directly to Michigan Military Moms. "One-hundred percent of the donations we receive go directly to the Michigan military families," Tanner emphasized. "Among the things we provide are family retreats for military personnel who are suffering from post-traumatic stress, and we offer emergency hardship financial assistant to those who are in need. "We are not funded by the government, so this is how we raise our money – by groups like the Orioles and Bobcats holding special events like this today." The Bobcats prevailed over the Orioles on the gridiron Sunday afternoon, but the final scores took a back-seat to the patriotism that was exhibited throughout the players and their families.
