Nov. 7, 2014
ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic and Harris Corporation have teamed up for the 11th consecutive season to honor military men, women and their families with Seats for Soldiers Night on Friday, November 7 when the Magic take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, tip-off set for 7 p.m.
The event provides game tickets for more than 2,000 active and retired military personnel and their families courtesy of the Magic, Harris Corporation and season ticket holders who donated their seats for the occasion. Seats for Soldiers participating military outfits include Patrick Air Force Base, The Wounded Warrior Project, Orlando Marine affiliate, Orlando Army affiliate, MacDill Air Force Base, U.S. Army PEO STRI and Greater Jacksonville Area USO.
Harris is also providing courtside seats to US Army Sgt. Bacary Sambou and his family to acknowledge his sacrifices. Sgt. Sambou was wounded in action in March 2012 and will be honored in a special halftime presentation during the game.
Sgt. Sambou, joined the Army in October 1997, and is an active duty Army member who was wounded in action by an improvised explosive device while delivering supplies to a sister unit in Afghanistan. During the explosion, Sgt. Sambou suffered a spinal cord injury, two broken ribs, a broken foot, and mild traumatic brain injury. For his courageous efforts while on tour, Sgt. Sambou received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, three Army Commendation Medals, Iraq Campaign Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
"It is truly the Orlando Magic’s honor to recognize the brave men and women who dedicate their lives in service of our great country,” said Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins. "Together with Harris Corporation, we recognize the sacrifices made by not only the men and women in uniform but their families as well. They are all heroes.”
In addition, in honor of the annual Seats for Soldiers Night, the Magic will host a military-themed Fan Fest presented by FanDuel including military Humvees, a rock wall, and military simulators. Other highlights include volunteer uniformed officers distributing game programs to fans entering the Disney Atrium, the national anthem performed by a military member, a military-themed performance by the Magic Dancers. The Magic, Harris and Levy Restaurants will host a postgame reception for more than 100 preselected active and retired military personnel and their families, with food and beverage courtesy of Levy Restaurants and an opportunity to meet Magic players.
The night will also feature recognition of a Hometown Hero presented by Harris Corporation, Staff Sergeant Steven Perez. Hometown Hero is an ongoing in-game recognition honoring first responders in the Central Florida community including emergency medical, fire, police and military.
“Harris is proud to be able to acknowledge our military and hometown heroes with this great event at a great venue,” Harris Chairman, President and CEO Bill Brown said. “With Veteran’s Day approaching, we want to thank Sgt. Sambou and every other man and woman in uniform and their families for all they have done for our nation.”
ABOUT HARRIS CORPORATION
Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 125 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and about 14,000 employees—including 6,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at Harris.com.
ABOUT LEVY RESTAURANTS
Levy Restaurants, founded in Chicago in 1978, is recognized as one of America’s fastest growing and most critically acclaimed restaurant companies, and is the leader in premium sports and entertainment dining. Levy was named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports in the world by Fast Company magazine. The company’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants such as James Beard Award-winning Spiaggia in Chicago, Fulton’s Crab House, Portobello and Wolfgang Puck Grand Café at Walt Disney World Resort, renowned sports and entertainment venues like Wrigley Field in Chicago, Churchill Downs in Louisville, STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and American Airlines Arena in Miami, and events including the Super Bowl, World Series, U. S. Open, Kentucky Derby, NHL, MLB and NBA All-Star Games and the GRAMMY® Awards. For details, visit www.levyrestaurants.com.
ABOUT THE ORLANDO MAGIC
Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. The Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning five division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise, scholarships and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, over the last 24 years more than $18.8 million has been distributed to local nonprofit community organizations through the Orlando Magic Youth Fund (OMYF-MFF), a McCormick Foundation Fund since 1994, which serves at-risk youth. Ticket highlights for the Magic's 2014-15 season in the Amway Center, honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ 2013 Customer Experience Award and named SportsBusiness Journal's 2012 Sports Facility of the Year, include: 2,500 seats priced $20 or less, 8,000 seats priced $40 or less and 9,000 seats priced $50 or under. For ticket information log on to www.orlandomagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.