Chad Davis / CC
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Operation Fan Mail, the program that recognizes military families and veterans at each Green Bay Packers home game, will mark its 14th season in 2020, and the 12th year it has been presented by WPS Health Solutions or its affiliates.
“It gives us the opportunity and our fans the opportunity to salute either a current military member or veterans and their families as part of our usually our pregame festivities,” said Partnership Services Coordinator Michelle Ratchman.
The program debuted in 2007, and has honored families over the years with tickets to a home game. But the tradition will see a bit of an adjustment this year as the COVID-19 pandemic will prevent ordinary pregame events from taking place.
“We would have them on the field during pregame and announce them and give our fans a chance to honor them. This year, given everything, we are taking it virtual,” Ratchman told WTAQ News. “This will allow probably more people to be able to participate, even though we do open up anyway – but people won’t have to travel to Green Bay. We are gonna take a virtual and honor them on our social channels instead of in person…It’s given us another opportunity to really continue the recognition of these military members and veterans this year. Even though the times are different, we still wanted to have an avenue so that we could say thank you to them.”
The selected families this year will be featured on the Packers’ social media platforms and on Packers.com following each home game and each family will receive a $250 prize pack from WPS Health Solutions and the Packers.
Families intended for recognition are those that have a member serving on active duty, or a member who is a veteran. The family member can be a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter or sibling. A total of 128 families have been saluted during the past 12 seasons.
“A person can nominate themselves or obviously a family member or a friend can nominate somebody,” Ratchman said. “We just recognize what they do and think that they deserve some recognition. We just wanted to be able to carve out some time to really take a moment and give them that appreciation that they deserve for what they’ve done for us and our country.”
The Packers and WPS Health Solutions are asking interested families, or friends of eligible families, to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on why a particular family should be saluted.
More information about those applications can be found online.
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