“The 49ers leave the team’s legacy off the field through hands-on projects, outreach to those who serve our communities, and creating uplifting experiences for those who need hope the most.” – 49ers Community Relations
Operation Freedom Paws (OFP) was incredibly honored to be a recipient of the San Francisco 49ers amazing community during their “Salute to Service” weekend. On Saturday, November 12, sixteen OFP veteran teams and their families were treated to a private “Practice Day Visit,” where they received personalized jerseys for themselves and their service dogs and 49ers merchandise. These veterans were personally thanked for their service to our country by the general manager of the 49ers organization, John Lynch. He was presented with a wooden flag custom-made by OFP mentor-trainer Ramon, with both the 49ers and OFP logos featured together on the flag. Clients enjoyed a beautiful breakfast and then headed out to the field for an exciting “meet and greet” with the team after watching them run plays. Even though the team had an important game the next day, the players were very generous with their time by signing autographs and taking pictures with our veteran clients while thanking them for their service.
On Sunday, November 13, Operation Freedom Paws veteran clients and their families attended a sold-out “Salute to Service” game against the L.A. Chargers and watched all the action on the field from a private viewing deck with a catered dinner provided. Our founder and executive director, Mary Cortani, was honored on the field as the “Frontline Hero of the Game,” and the 49ers and U.S. Bank surprised her with a $20,000 check. Mary shared, “it’s not often that people can surprise me. But the 49ers and U.S. Bank certainly did when they presented me with that check in front of 70,000 people cheering on our organization.” She added, “I was so deeply grateful to receive such an incredible gift and to share in that experience with my veteran clients, staff, and the community.” The 49ers and U.S. Bank not only empowered and shared OFP’s mission with the 70,000 people in attendance but shared it with a nationwide audience of millions.
We cannot thank the 49ers Community Relations Team enough for leading this amazing act of community support to benefit our veteran clients and their families. Careful consideration was given to every detail to ensure the best experience for our clients and the greatest positive impact on our mission. Mary summed up the events of the weekend, “The 49ers afforded OFP clients and their families a once-in-a-lifetime experience that could have never happened without their efforts and generosity. It was an example of community at its very best and a beautiful way to honor these veterans”.
Deepest gratitude to Stacy McCorkle (49ers Community Relations Senior Director), Saya Lindsay and Michelle Beck (49ers Community Relations Senior Managers), and Rena Abu-Gharbiyeh (49ers Community Coordinator and Event Organizer) for championing this experience and handling all the moving parts so seamlessly. And thank you to everyone at the 49ers organization, the team, and U.S. Bank for all the incredible support they showed our veteran teams, their families, and our staff.
More 49ers OFP News: Morgan Hill Life OFP S.F. 49ers