The New York Giants are proud to highlight their year-round commitment to Salute to Service this week leading into Sunday's game against the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium.
On Sunday, November 13, the Giants will be celebrating their official Salute to Service themed game presented by Your Local Ford Stores. The Giants are proud to host active and retired military members and their families to attend and participate in the game.
For the last five decades, the New York Giants have donated 50 home game tickets to each active members of the military through different military relationships. This year, the Giants are proud to be working with the USO to continue supporting this initiative.
To kick off the game, several senior members of all 5 military branches, as well as members of the Disabled American Veterans Organization, will be present for the coin toss and a member of each military branch will ring the Kickoff Bell.
Musician First Class Nathaniel Buttram from the United States Navy Band will perform the national anthem, and The United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon will perform its precision drill at halftime.
There will also be in-game recognition moments, including Ford's $10,000 contribution to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization. The Giants will be presenting HicksStrong with their $15,000 Salute to Service grant from the NFL Foundation. For the "Military Moment" of the game, the Giants will celebrate a 96-year-old World War II veteran who escaped from the Germans twice and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Together with Ford, the Giants will be honoring Earl Granville who served nine years in the Army National Guard as an Infantryman with deployments to Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Earl retired out of the Army as a Staff Sergeant with many awards such as the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Purple Heart.
Inside of the MetLife Gate, the Giants will activate a Salute to Service Military Tribute. Active or veteran military members and their families can honor their loved ones who served by placing a commemorative seal on a Salute to Service tribute wall. This will be located at MetLife Central.
Additionally, the first 30,000 fans in attendance will receive a special Salute to Service scarf presented by Ford.
Salute to Service doesn't begin or end on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Giants Legends visited veterans at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx and hosted their annual pizza party for veterans and hospital staff in honor of Veterans Day. The Giants hosted military members from the Wounded Warrior Project at the Quest Diagnostic Training Center. They watched team practice and met with players and coaches post-practice to share their stories and a meal in the team cafeteria.
The Giants also partnered with HicksStrong for a Hug Mug painting event. Giants players, coaches, staff, and family members painted mugs for members of our military. HicksStrong is a non-profit organization created with the goal of connecting service members with therapists via telehealth so they can truly receive confidential support no matter where they are. They are driven to change the military suicide epidemic by removing the red tape and shortening the gap between service members and therapists.
Salute to Service is the league's effort to honor, empower, and connect with our nation's service members, veterans, and their families. It is highlighted during games in Weeks 9 – 11 and in other special events around the league, as fans and the NFL's 32 clubs demonstrate their gratitude for the sacrifices made by our military community. The Giants are proud to host active and retired military members and their families to Sunday's game.
Since 2011, more than $58 million has been raised for Salute to Service partners to support and uplift our nation's military community through resources, programming, recognition, and unique experiences that take place within the United States and across the world.
