Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inside Basketball
BY: By Donn Nelson, Executive, Dallas Mavericks
BY: By Donn Nelson, Executive, Dallas Mavericks
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.
~Mark Twain
Dallas Mavericks season ticket holder, Neal Hawks, has an eye for great real estate deals. He is also on the lookout for ways that he can encourage seriously wounded soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. That's why he came up with the idea of "Seats for Soldiers."
"These men and women have put their lives on the line so that we can enjoy the lives and freedoms we have here. Many of them have returned to the United States as amputees and burn victims. This is just one way to say 'thank you'," explains Hawks. In 2004, Hawks read an article about returning soldiers who needed surgery and rehabilitation. Not only did he donate his eight front row seats, he even paid the airfare for the veterans to be flown from San Antonio's Brooks Army Medical Center. Then Hawks enlarged his vision. He did missionary work to bring other courtside season ticket holders on board.
Mavericks' owner, Mark Cuban, who donates his five courtside seats for Seats for Soldiers Night, is ecstatic about this show of community support. At the most recent fête, 145 courtside seats were filled with soldiers. "Seats for Soldiers has been a true source of pride for the Dallas Mavericks and the community. We should never take our freedoms for granted and must remember that there is a cost. Heroes such as these defend our abilities to enjoy our lives," Cuban notes.
American Airlines now donates the flights from San Antonio to Dallas. Abacus, a Dallas restaurant, donates pre-game dinners to the soldiers. At game time, the guests of honor receive a standing ovation from 20,000 appreciative fans.
Seats for Soldiers is a special salute to those who have served. It's our way of saying thank you to our country's true heroes.
~Mark Twain
Dallas Mavericks season ticket holder, Neal Hawks, has an eye for great real estate deals. He is also on the lookout for ways that he can encourage seriously wounded soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. That's why he came up with the idea of "Seats for Soldiers."
"These men and women have put their lives on the line so that we can enjoy the lives and freedoms we have here. Many of them have returned to the United States as amputees and burn victims. This is just one way to say 'thank you'," explains Hawks. In 2004, Hawks read an article about returning soldiers who needed surgery and rehabilitation. Not only did he donate his eight front row seats, he even paid the airfare for the veterans to be flown from San Antonio's Brooks Army Medical Center. Then Hawks enlarged his vision. He did missionary work to bring other courtside season ticket holders on board.
Mavericks' owner, Mark Cuban, who donates his five courtside seats for Seats for Soldiers Night, is ecstatic about this show of community support. At the most recent fête, 145 courtside seats were filled with soldiers. "Seats for Soldiers has been a true source of pride for the Dallas Mavericks and the community. We should never take our freedoms for granted and must remember that there is a cost. Heroes such as these defend our abilities to enjoy our lives," Cuban notes.
American Airlines now donates the flights from San Antonio to Dallas. Abacus, a Dallas restaurant, donates pre-game dinners to the soldiers. At game time, the guests of honor receive a standing ovation from 20,000 appreciative fans.
Seats for Soldiers is a special salute to those who have served. It's our way of saying thank you to our country's true heroes.
http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/Chicken-Soup-For-The-Soul/2011/02/For-Taking-a-Stand-Take-a-Seat.aspx?source=NEWSLETTER&nlsource=49&ppc=&utm_campaign=DIBSoup&utm_source=NL&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=mail.ru
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