Press Release

Veteran Tickets Foundation gives 250 seats to Veterans for D-backs game on September 12th.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Phoenix, AZ, September 9, 2008: The Veteran Tickets Foundation celebrates their first Awareness game by donating 250 free tickets to Veterans and their families for the Diamondbacks vs. Cincinnati Reds game on September 12th. All festivities will take place in the Miller Lite Diamond Club at Chase Field.

“I’m very excited about our partnerships with the Diamondbacks and VetTix.com,” said Mike Focareto, President and Founder of Veteran Tickets Foundation. “Besides remembering all of those that lost their lives on September 11th and the conflict since, we’re also celebrating the official launch of the Veteran Tickets Foundation.”

Veteran Tickets Foundation is a national, nonprofit organization committed to acknowledging the extraordinary service of all Veterans by providing free and discounted event tickets to the more than 26 million Veterans and more than 1.3 million active duty service members. The organization was founded and is run by Veterans. Focareto himself is a disabled Veteran and served in the first Gulf War and now works as a design engineer.

“This year, I was at the Super Bowl with my good friend Chris Blindheim who is a former Marine (and now a director in the Foundation),” said Focareto. “We were totally enjoying the game, and I looked over and saw this empty seat. An empty seat—at the Super Bowl! The idea hit me right between the eyes. Wouldn’t it be great if someone would have given that seat away to another Veteran—and written it off as a donation? That’s where the inspiration for Veteran Tickets Foundation came from. And now, little more than six months later, we’re part of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Major League Baseball’s Awareness Series.”

Focareto is quick to add that giving free and discounted tickets away isn’t a “handout”. Veteran Tickets believes that tickets are an important expression of gratitude and that we honor the service of our soldiers now and long after their tour of duty has passed—tickets are a token of our appreciation. The Veteran Tickets Foundation teams up with major sports teams, leagues, promoters, organizations, venues, and everyday ticket holders to get Veterans to every event throughout the country.

While many Veterans’ groups stress a certain branch of the military or represent a class of Veteran, such as Vets with Disabilities, Veteran Tickets makes no such distinction. Focareto is fond of the saying, “If you served, you deserve. Whether you’re a Green Beret who loaded machine guns or a support person who loaded vending machines, you’re a Veteran. You served. You deserve a ticket.”

All the tickets to the Sept. 12 Diamondbacks-Reds Veteran Appreciation Night have been distributed to the Arizona National Guard, Veterans and their families. The Diamondbacks are partnering with Veteran Tickets Foundation to raise funds and awareness for the Foundation. When purchasing tickets, a portion of the proceeds will be donated back to the Veteran Tickets Foundation. First pitch is at 6:40pm with post-game fireworks.