“Troops & Vets Night” at Kane County Cougars Set for August 2
Ticket sales from first-time event will benefit three charities;
A night to “support our troops and honor our veterans”
WHEATON, IL, March 1 2010
Cantigny Park and the First Division Museum at Cantigny, each part of the McCormick Foundation, announced they will sponsor “Troops & Vets Night” at the Kane County Cougars on Monday, August 2. Ticket sales for the game will benefit three nonprofit organizations: Honor Flight Chicago, Operation Support Our Troops Illinois and the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans.
“This is sure to be a fun and patriotic evening, and a unique opportunity for people to honor our local veterans and show support for our active-duty service members,” said Paul Herbert, executive director of the First Division Museum. “We’re also pleased to help raise some money for three organizations that do very important work.”
Honor Flight Chicago sends World War II veterans on all-expenses-paid one-day trips to visit Washington, D.C., and the National World War II Memorial. More than 1,000 WWII vets have been honored so far and a long waiting list exists for future flights. For more information:
honorflightchicago.org
Operation Support Our Troops Illinois is a volunteer-based organization focused on providing comfort, resources and support to military, families and veterans. OSOTIL’s Care Package Program has sent over 250 tons of comfort packages to troops in an effort to raise morale and demonstrate to all members of the military that American citizens respect and value their sacrifice. OSOTIL’s largest annual fundraiser is the “Rockin’ For The Troops” concert featuring Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band. This year’s concert is July 17 at Cantigny Park. For more information:
osotil.org or
rockinforthetroops.org.
The
Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans opened its doors in Wheaton in 2007. The transitional living facility provides assistance to U.S. veterans of any era. Residents receive the skills training needed to lead productive lives and live independently. For more information:
helpaveteran.org
Specially priced tickets for “Troops & Vets Night” are available online at Cantigny.org and at the Cantigny Park Gift Shop. Tickets are $8 each, a savings of $2 per ticket. Tickets may also be purchased by phone at 630 260 8162. Cantigny will pay all handling and postage costs for mail orders.
On game night, the Kane County Cougars will donate $1 for every ticket sold at the stadium box office in Geneva. That money will be added to funds raised from advance ticket sales through Cantigny.
“We’re excited to partner with Cantigny for this special event,” said Cougars general manager Jeff Sedivy. “It’s an honor to have Elfstrom Stadium and our national pastime
serve as the backdrop for recognizing the great dedication of so many Americans who have served and still serve our country.”
The Cougars’ “Troops & Vets Night” opponent is the Burlington Bees. Game time is 6:30 pm; gates open at 5:30 pm. For directions and other information, visit the Cougars online at
kccougars.com.
About Cantigny
Cantigny, part of the Chicago-based McCormick Foundation, is the 500-acre Wheaton (Illinois) estate of Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the
Chicago Tribune. In his will, “The Colonel” left Cantigny as a gift to the community for recreation and education. It is home to the McCormick Museum, First Division Museum, formal gardens, picnic grounds, walking trails and a Visitors Center with banquet and dining facilities. More information, including hours, directions and upcoming events is online at
Cantigny.org. Cantigny Golf, adjacent to the park, features a 27-hole championship golf course, full-service clubhouse, Cantigny Golf Academy and the 9-hole Cantigny Youth Links. For more information, visit
CantignyGolf.com.