DALLAS, Texas — American Airlines, the Dallas Mavericks and Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse were delighted to partner again for the 17th annual Seats for Soldiers, a day full of unforgettable experiences to honor our nation’s heroes. More than 100 service members — wounded, ill and injured service members from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and soldiers from the Texas Army National Guard — enjoyed dinner at Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse, along with courtside seats at the Dallas Mavericks versus Orlando Magic game at American Airlines Center.
The day began with American providing charter transportation between San Antonio and Dallas Fort Worth for Brooke Army Medical Center service members with American’s pilots and flight attendants volunteering their time for the special flight.
“For the past 17 years, Seats for Soldiers has been a special event for the American Airlines team — and one that I am especially proud to be part of as an Army veteran myself,” said David Seymour, American’s Chief Operating Officer. “We are grateful for our team of volunteers and our partners at Nick & Sam’s and the Dallas Mavericks for coming together to honor our nation’s heroes in such a meaningful way each year.”
After arriving at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, the group of service members were treated to a three-course dinner at Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse before attending the game. This year’s menu was created by Nick & Sam’s Corporate Chef and Partner Samir Dhurandhar and featured an Allen Brother filet mignon and “Salt n Pepper” Scottish Salmon main dish option with sides. The meal concluded with Dallas Mavericks seven-layer cake and Sweet House vanilla ice cream. The Nick & Sam’s staff volunteered their time to host the group, and the service was provided free of charge to the service members.
“Food feeds the soul. Although we owe them much more than a meal, we are honored to be able to treat the people who protect us. We admire our veterans' strength and courage and want them to know that we see and appreciate them,” said Nick & Sam's Majority Owner and Partner Sam Romano, and Corporate Chef and Partner Samir Dhurandhar in a joint statement.
The concept for Seats for Soldiers originated with Dallas Mavericks season ticket holders Neal and Jamie Hawks, who, along with other front-row season ticket holders, have donated their seats year after year to host the wounded service members. For the first time ever, the Dallas Mavericks opened up more of their seats by providing all Club Maverick Members who had tickets to the Jan. 29 game the opportunity to donate their seats to U.S. service members. In collaboration with Vet Tix, the Mavericks were able to provide over 400 additional seats to active duty, veteran/retiree, Gold Star family and surviving spouse military members. This ongoing collaboration has generated over $1.2 million worth of tickets for service members this season. After the game, the service members attended a meet-and-greet session with the Mavericks players and entertainers.
“It is our honor to recognize and celebrate these brave men and women in uniform,” said Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall. “Because of their sacrifice, we are free to enjoy the game we love with the people we love, and we are grateful for their service.”
