Green Bay Packers to honor military with Salute to Service

Sunday's game is very exciting. We know that there will be the Salute to Service game to honor military members and veterans. This comes after Veterans Day on Wednesday. I want to bring in Tyler McCune. He's the Packers Partnership and Activation Coordinator. Tyler, thanks so much for joining me today on Fox 6 Now. One second, Tyler. For some reason, I'm having trouble with your audio. Let's see what I can do here. All right, let me see you, Tyler. Talk one more time for me. Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it today. Thank you very much. Great. Thank you so much. I was like, I hope I can, I talked to you about this. I was very excited to get into this, but yes, I have your audio now. We are all good. So I want to talk a little bit about this because we know Sunday's game, extra special salute to service. You guys have been doing this for years. So talk about what people can expect at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Yeah, of course. So as you mentioned, a little bit of a gloomy day up here at Lambeau, but we're hoping for plenty of fireworks come Sunday when we take on the Vikings. So November has always been the NFL Salute to Service Month, and we're proud to partner with Fleet Farm here within the Green Bay Packers organization to give back to veterans and current service members around the country who are all dedicated Packers fans. So what fans can expect here come Sunday is there's going to be a special enlistment ceremony that's going to take place at halftime. So we have over 100 new enlistees and re-enlisted. ISDs are going to be taking place. That's going to take place at halftime. We have a double amputee Purple Heart veteran, J.P. Lane, is going to be singing the national anthem. We're also going to honor military veterans before the game starts. They're going to have an opportunity to hold the flag here at Lambeau Field. And for us, it's really just an incredible opportunity to give back to the many organizations within the state of Wisconsin and obviously thank our veterans and our current service members around the country as well. Yeah, and we have so many people in Wisconsin who are either active duty members or who have served our country. What is the process like? What's the outreach to get all of these people to Lambeau Field for this event? Yeah, that's a great question. So we work with different military organizations around the state. One thing that we also do in the month of October is we host a salute service flag football tournament with different military organizations being able to put together teams. So we have a ton of contacts in the military world that are able to put these things together. A lot of times what we see is fans who are coming back from leave or who are returning or families who want to honor veterans are reaching out to us throughout the entire season, throughout the entire year as For different opportunities, so we really compile those throughout the entire season. The great thing within the Packers organization is that we have a ton of Packers fans, no matter if they're here in the United States or all around the world. And when they come home, they want to spend their time here at Lambeau Field, which is something that means a lot to us and something that we really appreciate. So we're really compiling these opportunities throughout the course of the entire season and really culminating it with our Salute to Service game, which like I said, is an NFL initiative, which really gives us one major game and one main platform to really Really focus on those veterans and service. service members and really show them how much we appreciate them here in Green Bay and throughout the state of Wisconsin as well. Yeah, I can only imagine this takes months and months to plan the Salute to Service game, and now it's finally here. I mean, I know you're the Packers Partnership and Activation Coordinator. You put on a bunch of events like this, but Salute to Service specifically, what does it mean to you every year? Yeah. I mean, for me, obviously these men and women are the ones who help keep this country safe and the ones who ultimately at the end of the day, we are playing a game here on Sunday and it is a game, but those people are on the front lines protecting and defending our freedom every single day. So without them, we wouldn't have any Packers football games. The Packers organization would not be around without them. So it's really one major opportunity for us to give them thanks throughout an entire three hour period of time where we can focus everything in in every initiative around the Packers organization. towards thanking them and showing them how much we appreciate them. We do it on a game-by-game basis, but to have one main platform to showcase that to them is extremely important. One thing that I love about working within the Packers organization is that We're doing military themed initiatives throughout the course of the season. We're serving breakfast to veterans and to be able to meet a 103 year old World War II veteran a few weeks ago and hear how much he enjoys the Packers and how it gets him through was really heartwarming for me. And, you know, that's really what we do it for. And that's what pulls on the heartstrings is when these people can take a break and, you know, really, you know. not think about those things that they're going through for three hours. That's really what we're here for and what we're here to do. So ultimately without them, none of this would happen without them. So it's something that we're extremely appreciative of and something that we're looking forward to doing this upcoming Sunday. Yeah. And I like that you mentioned that of course, Veterans Day highlights, you know, that we need to honor them this week and thank veterans for their service, but it's so much more than just a week. So it's cool to hear about what What the Packers do throughout the whole year. To honor our veterans, and I know you had mentioned that story that you had heard with the 103 year old veteran. Talk to me a little bit more about that. Yeah, it was incredible to see. So we were serving breakfast last week down in Appleton with our friends at Vets and Friends, which they're serving brunch and breakfast on Wednesdays and Thursdays or Wednesdays and Fridays. Excuse me. To veterans in the Fox Valley area and to see a 103-year-old World War II veteran not only come to the breakfast but be able to walk into the breakfast was extremely impactful to me. And just to be able to sit down and hear the stories of what he went through, what it was like watching the Packers for him, those memories that he has with them, that's where it really matters and that's where it's really important is to just be able to take time to hear them out, to sit down, to listen to the stories. And I feel like sometimes that gets lost on a lot of us in the sports world and in every world for that matter. We're all extremely busy. We're running around in a million different directions a lot of the time. So just to be able to take 10 minutes to sit down, listen to the stories, let them know how much we care about him, how impactful he was to this country and to what we get to do every single day, I think was really powerful for me to hear because I feel like everyone has a close veteran, whether it's someone in your family, a friend's family, whoever it may be. And just to be able to spend time with them, listen to them, hear them out, hear their stories is extremely impactful. And ultimately, you know, like I said, provides us an opportunity to get to. to do what we love every single day. So for me, that was really meaningful and definitely something that I'll carry with me, especially throughout this weekend as well. So we have a flyover planned for Sunday as well. So we heard the Jets up practicing today. So always something exciting to see and to hear around Lambeau Field and get the fans excited before kickoff as well. Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, just hearing the impact and how much these veterans love the Packers is really cool to see, too, and so important to keep those stories alive. I love that you mentioned that as well, because just hearing them and having that personal connection, putting a face to the story and just. Really taking it in and recognizing the impact that they've had on our country is super cool. And I'm glad that you guys will be highlighting those stories, too. I was seeing that on the Jumbotrons during the break, you're going to be highlighting some stories as well. Talk a little bit about that. And then also, are there any other features that people can see inside the stadium, any way you're transforming the atmosphere? Yeah, yeah, of course. So a lot of the features that we'll have pre-game and in-game are centered around veterans and thanking our veterans. So a lot of different events that took place throughout the course of the season. Earlier this year, we were able to host an honor flight, which is something that we do every season, where we're sending Packers alumni plus service members and veterans to Washington, D.C. to really take in the monuments that ultimately they helped create and they helped give to our country. So to be able to showcase those features. Each game, we also do Operation Fan Mail, which is Where we honor a veteran pregame and really go through their service and what they've done and their deployments and all of the sacrifices that they've made and all the honors that they've had from a military perspective. So we do that on an every game basis pregame that always pulls on my heartstrings to be down on the field and see the veterans get a standing ovation from 80,000 people. A lot of times they're a little bit nervous, but it's nothing near to what they're going through on a day-to-day basis, obviously when they're serving for our country. So to be To be able to showcase those features throughout pre-game, in-game. And then hopefully we come home with a big win as well. And everyone goes home with a smile on their face and a story that they can tell to their kids or their grandkids or their family members, something that they learned from a military perspective. We'll have TAPS families as well. So make sure to stop by the Lambeau Field Atrium if you're going to be here. We hosted seven TAPS families. So you can see their photos and read their stories of fallen service members through those families that were recognized earlier this week, the event that we hosted with. Packers players and with those families as well. So make sure to stop by the Lambeau Field Atrium on Sunday if you're planning on attending the game. And hopefully everyone who attends, like I said, can go home with a story and a little bit more appreciation for what our military does on a day-to-day basis and how they serve for us. Yeah, I love that. And a win would really tie a bow onto all of it for such an amazing day that I know you guys are expecting. And I know here at Fox 6, we participate in Make Camo for a Cause, which is a great event. You're supposed to wear camouflage. You can also donate as well. And I was looking, there's some gear online for this event specifically. Yeah, yeah. So if you go to the Packers Pro Shop, whether that's the Packers Pro Shop online or if you're up here at Lambeau Field and stop by the Packers Pro Shop as well, we do have our military salute to service themed apparel that's going to take place and be sold here in Lambeau Field as well. So make sure you're stopping by the Pro Shop if you do have that opportunity or you can shop online within the Packers Pro Shop as well. Every year the league comes out with a different theme, a different color scheme. This year, this one is from a couple of years ago, but this year the theme is black and white. So it's always camo themed and always military themed. as well. So make sure if you're looking to, you know, obviously support the military and support the Green Bay Packers as well, that you're picking up a piece of apparel from the Packers Pro Shop. Yeah, I was browsing myself. There's some pretty sick merch there. I was looking at a hat and a hoodie as well. So just another way to get involved and support our veterans who've done so much for our country. Tyler, anything else you feel like is important for people to know ahead of Sunday's event. Yeah, just come be loud, obviously cheer for the pack, hopefully cheer us on to victory. And I think within the Green Bay Packers organization, I speak for all of us when I say that we just want to thank all of our veterans and all of our current military members as well for what they do. Like I said, none of this would be possible without you all. And I think it's one thing that we appreciate here. And when you show up at Lambeau Field and you see a 20 foot Lombardi trophy every day, when you walk into this building, you have a major respect for the people who put their lives on the line to help so that we can get to do something that we love to do every single day. So that never is lost. on us. And I'm extremely proud and extremely happy that we could take the time to honor them throughout an entire three-hour spectacle here at Lambeau Field and then the other events that we have scheduled throughout the month of November. And I'm just really proud of the organization for things that we've done to help extend this throughout the course of the entire year as well and not have it only condensed into the month of November. So just thank you to all the military members, all the veterans, servicemen, and women who are helping defend our freedom and helping make this possible for us on Sunday. Yeah, I know. It's not easy to put on an event like this. And it seems like every detail was considered here. And I mean, it's what people who served our country deserve. Absolutely. So I'm excited to see a lot of it come together. Tyler, thank you so much for joining me here on Fox 6 Now. Go Pack Go. Hoping for a win. Again, to wrap things all up on Sunday. We're looking forward to it. Thank you very much for having me and Go Pack Go. Absolutely. And again, if you are not going to Lambeau Field on Sunday, you can actually watch the game. It's going to be right here on Fox 6, giving you some information about that. Let's take a look. Looks like I lost the graphic here. You guys, our system being a little buggy today. It is a Friday after all. Let's take a look right here. Again, that game right here on Fox 6, the NFL pregame starting at 8 a.m. Patriots versus Lions from Munich. At 8:30 and then the Packers-Vikings game where there's a noon kickoff. Again, that will be live at Lambeau Field. You can get a recap of it all on the Fox 6 Sports Blitz at 10:30. But very much looking forward to Sunday's Salute to Service initiative and that game. We know that there's going to be a lot of things that you can look out for no matter where you're watching, including that halftime performance. So very excited for Sunday.