AFFF & Taco Bell partners with Jacksonville Sharks for Military Appreciation Night

In partnership with the Armed Forces Families Foundation and Taco Bell, the ArenaBowl XXIV Jacksonville Sharks will held Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, May 19, 2012 as the Sharks defeated the Iowa Barnstormers, 55 to 19. All proceeds from the events surrounding the game, which included a pre-game autograph session, post-game auction, and the sale of T-shirts, totaled over $30,000 and were donated to the Armed Forces Families Foundation.

Watch the video: AFFF & Taco Bell partners with Jacksonville Sharks for Military Appreciation Night

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Sharks Announce Details of Military Appreciation Night
Evening to benefit Armed Forces Families Foundation

JACKSONVILLE – The ArenaBowl XXIV Jacksonville Sharks have announced plans for the team’s upcoming Military Appreciation Night presented by Navy Federal Credit Union, which will be held on Saturday, May 19 as the Sharks take on the Iowa Barnstormers. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.

For the second consecutive year, the Sharks will wear a unique camouflage jersey design and will hold a postgame auction for every player jersey. All proceeds generated by the auction will be donated to the Armed Forces Families Foundation (AFFF), which funds and develops infrastructure projects to help local military families.

“We are proud to honor the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation’s Armed Forces again this year,” Sharks Partner and Air Force Veteran Larry Payne said. “We believe that partnering with AFFF will allow us to take Military Appreciation Night to the next level.”

In addition, the Sharks will offer commemorative Military Appreciation Night t-shirts to benefit AFFF. Available at SharkFest beginning at 4:00, each shirt will cost $2, and fans will be given the opportunity to make an additional donation to AFFF at the time of purchase. Also before the game, the Attack Dance Team will offer a commemorative Military Appreciation Night poster during their pregame autograph session.

The Sharks have also partnered with Taco Bell to increase the impact of Military Appreciation Night. At participating Taco Bell locations, fans may make a $1 donation to AFFF in exchange for a coupon for a free taco. This coupon will also be available at SharkFest prior to Saturday’s game.

“This fundraiser provides us with an opportunity to not only help raise money to support the Foundation, but also to give the organization the awareness it deserves,” said Thaddeus Foster, local Taco Bell franchise owner. “With local community support, we hope to make a difference by helping the families of our service men and women. Families are truly the first line of support for our troops. The Sharks are great partners to work with to help these families. We like to work with AFFF because it is a 100% volunteer organization – every penny raised goes to help military families!”

Another aspect of Military Appreciation Night is that all military personnel, both active and retired, and their families have the opportunity to purchase Buy One, Get One Free tickets for this game only. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Sharks’ ticket office at (904) 621-0700 or by bringing a valid military ID to the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena box office on the day of the game. Please note that there is a limit of four free tickets per ID.

Additionally, Taco Bell will offer discounted tickets for all fans for this game. Please see your nearest participating Taco Bell location for instructions regarding how to obtain this discount and how to purchase these tickets through jaxsharks.com.

About the Armed Forces Families Foundation
The Armed Forces Families Foundation is a nonprofit organization that improves the lives of service members and their families. It has completed four major projects, at Fort Irwin, Calif.; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and the Mayport USO Center in Jacksonville, Fla.

For more information, please visit: https://www.armedforcesfamilies.org/ or http://www.facebook.com/armedforcesfamilies.

About the Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the Arena Football League (AFL). The ArenaBowl XXIV and backto-back South Division Champions are presented by Sea Best Seafood and play all home games on Sea Best Field at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Season Tickets for the 2012 season are now available, two tickets as low as $87. To reserve your season tickets or for more information, please call (904) 621-0700. Follow the Sharks on Facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance.

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