Through a new partnership, DAV and national nonprofit Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix) are working together to provide free event tickets to current military, veterans and family members of those killed in action—allowing them to attend sporting events, concerts, performing arts and family activities.
Vet Tix was founded when CEO and disabled Navy veteran Mike Focareto was at the 2007 Super Bowl and realized the military color guard members were not provided with seats at the game. Focareto noticed a handful of empty seats around him and found a creative way to fill those seats with deserving members of the military community. Today, Vet Tix has distributed more than 2.8 million free event tickets to more than 500,000 verified “Vet Tixers.”
“This is a fantastic way to get our military members and veterans out in the community, to let them know they are appreciated and to get them some down time,” said National Adjutant Marc Burgess. “Vet Tix is really doing a great service to veterans by helping keep them engaged, and we’re proud to be working alongside them.”
Butch Hogan, Chief Technical Officer at Vet Tix, is a DAV member and disabled Army veteran.
“Being a DAV member, I understand the importance of having support during the transition from the military to civilian life,” said Butch Hogan. “Vet Tix and DAV provide incredible community resources for veterans and their families along with unique opportunities to heal hidden wounds. Our new partnership will allow Vet Tix to serve even more disabled veterans and continue the great impact we have in the military community.”
Vet Tix and DAV are also working closely with ticket donors to help find more accessible seating to support attendance by disabled veterans and to ensure that Vet Tixers can be seated with their families while at events.
DAV life member Laurie Wood, a Navy veteran who sustained a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair for mobility, was able to take her 12-year-old son Gavin to his first professional basketball game this year, thanks to Vet Tix.
“We wouldn’t have been able to go without them,” said Wood. “It means so much to me to be able to create those memories together. We had so much fun!”
In addition to the new partnership, DAV Charitable Service Trust recently provided a significant grant to Vet Tix to deliver even more event tickets to deserving veterans and their families. This is the second grant Vet Tix has received from the DAV Charitable Service Trust. The funding will provide tickets to the military community that focus on sporting events, concerts, educational activities, science centers, museums and performing arts events—further expanding the reach within the military community and ensuring that all interests of military members are represented.
Learn more online
To become a Vet Tixer and to begin requesting tickets for just a small delivery fee, visit VetTix.org/DAV to create a free account. Once your military service is verified, you can view hundreds of upcoming events around the nation.