Here's a classy gesture from Dallas Mavericks fans towards some of our nation's wounded warriors.
They've dodged bombs and bullets, suffered bruises and burns. They've lost limbs and stared at death's door.Posted by Alan at December 18, 2004 09:19 AMJim Leslie figures the least he can do is let these brave U.S. soldiers — most wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan — sit on the front row at a Dallas Mavericks game.
"It's a small way for me to show some appreciation for what they've done for us," said Leslie, one of dozens of Mavericks season-ticket holders giving up their seats for tonight's game. "I still don't think it's enough."
In all, about 140 injured soldiers from Brooke Army Medical Center near San Antonio will fly to Dallas — on a chartered jet donated by American Airlines — to see the Mavericks play the Atlanta Hawks. They'll enjoy complimentary food and beverages and have their pictures taken with Mavericks players, dancers and officials, including owner Mark Cuban.
"This is a chance for these servicemen and women to feel the admiration and respect of 20,000 people, reinforcing for them that we as a nation feel grateful for what they have done for us," Cuban said in an e-mail.
The key playmaker for "Seats for Soldiers" is a season-ticket holder named Neal Hawks, who reluctantly let the Mavericks publicize his name, a team spokeswoman said.
Hawks first offered front-row seats to soldiers last season, bringing eight to each of three games.
"Last year it gave me the chills to see the ovations that just eight soldiers received," Hawks said in an e-mail.
So this season, he approached other season-ticket holders, figuring he might get 50 or 60 tickets. Instead, he said, he got 133 — all on the front row. The total value of the tickets: roughly $150,000.
It will be a chance for the soldiers to recognize just how much Americans appreciate their service and sacrifice, said Cpl. J.R. Martinez, 21, of Dalton, Ga., who attended one of the games last season.
"A lot of these soldiers are definitely right now probably in the depression stage," said Martinez, burned over 40 percent of his body when his Humvee hit a land mine in Iraq last year. "For them to go and be able to feel that energy, it's definitely going to help their morale."