Beginning November 5th, the Jets will host Salute to Service Week leading up to their Week 10 matchup vs. Buffalo. The week will be dedicated to honoring the men and women who serve in our nation's military and their families who serve along with them.
Join us at the 19th annual Salute to Service Game at MetLife Stadium on Veterans Day. Limited tickets remain for the AFC East matchup.
Monday, November 5th:
Private Inside the Jets Show for Military Families: Inside the Jets presented by EY, the team's weekly live radio show, will be closed to the public and opened to a private group of military families from all over the northeast. Hosted by Jets senior reporter Eric Allen and former safety Erik Coleman and featuring special Jets guests, the families will enjoy dinner while watching the show.
Tuesday, November 6th:
Military Flag Football Game: Tuesday morning, the Jets will host a flag football game for members of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst at MetLife Stadium. After meeting current Jets players that will coach each team, service members will use the Jets locker room to change into their custom Salute to Service jerseys. This is the eighth military flag football game supported by the New York Jets. Games have taken place on bases in Afghanistan, Africa, Japan, Europe and the United States.**
Donation to Long Island Cares: The Jets will donate $5,000 to Long Island Cares, an organization that understands the challenges faced by returning soldiers and their families as troops transition from the front lines to the home front. Jets Legend Tony Richardson will present a check to the Long Island Cares Freeport location. To help veterans from both Nassau and Suffolk Counties facing financial hardship and food insecurity as they assimilate back into civilian life, they offer several veterans' service programs including:
- Military Appreciation Tuesdays: Hosted each week at Long Island Cares' pantries provides veterans and their families to access food, as well as personal care items, household products, pet food, and school supplies when available. All veterans are provided with information and resources pertaining to veteran-specific benefits.
- Mobile Pantry: Delivers nutritious groceries to homebound, disabled veterans unable to access their local pantries
- VetsWork: Assists veterans with building job skills and aids in their job search through various volunteer and training opportunities.
- Community Outreach Initiatives: Through collaboration with Veterans Service Agencies and the Northport VA Hospital, we are able to support events that provide vital health and social services to veterans of all ages and circumstances.
Wednesday, November 7th:
Salute to Service Practice Jerseys: The Jets will debut Salute to Service jerseys that the players will wear while the team prepares for the Week 10 matchup. At the end of the week, the jerseys will be autographed and made available on NFL Auction. Proceeds from the jersey auction will be given to Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Smart Home Program. Through this program, the foundation builds mortgage-free smart homes for our most catastrophically injured service members.
Thursday, November 8th:
Care Packages with Gold Star Families: Jets staff, with the assistance of Gold Star Families, will prepare care packages to be sent to bases all over the world including Turkey and Afghanistan for Salute to Service flag football games around Thanksgiving. Packages will include Jets gear, snacks, toiletries, magazines, card and board games as well as gift cards. After the boxes are sealed, Navy veteran and founder of 1 Solder 1 Dog 1 Team, Tim Duffy, will deliver them to the United States Postal Service for shipment on behalf of Toyota.
Friday, November 9th:
Special Surprise: The Jets will host a military Gold Star family for a special day at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. The day will include watching practice, lunch and a special surprise.
Saturday, November 10th:
Service Members at Practice: Over 150 military members are invited for breakfast and to attend a walk-through practice at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. After practice, the guests will be able to meet and greet with players.
Sunday, November 11th:
Salute to Service Game: As part of the organization's long-time commitment to honoring our armed forces, the Jets will host their 19th annual Salute to Service Game at MetLife Stadium. Jets Legends Laveranues Coles, Nick Mangold and Chad Pennington will assist with the days celebration. From the parking lots to the field the day will feature military personnel throughout the game presentation. The New York Jets Salute to Service game presented by SAP will include:
- Pre-game on the Island branches of the armed forces, the Veterans Administration and other support groups will have interactive displays available for fan interaction.
- The West Point Benny Havens Rock Band will perform at the Bud Light Beer Garden.
- Salute to Service rally towels presented by M&T Bank will be distributed to fans as they enter the stadium.
- Pre-game on field enlistment ceremony for over 100 future members of the armed forces.
- Military service members and veterans along with Gold and Blue Star families will run out of the tunnel with the team during introductions.
- The Voices of the West Point Quartet will perform the national anthem
- On the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division will be the color guard. The color guard members will wear WWI uniforms to mark the division's creation from National Guard units from 26 states during the war.
- Military service members and veterans along with Gold and Blue Star families will hold the American Flag during the national anthem.
- Armed forces personnel will be in formation with the team on field during the national anthem.
- Honorary Captains from all branches will take part in the coin toss.
- Halftime will feature an armed forces relay race featuring all five branches.
- The New York Jets Foundation will host the Jets 50/50 raffle presented by Florida Institute of Technology, benefitting the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Smart Home Program.
- New York Jets Legends scheduled to attend the Salute to Service game include: Randy Beverly, Fred Baxter, Rob Carpenter, Laveranues Coles, Freeman McNeil, Chad Pennington, Kerry Rhodes, Tony Richardson, Kenny Schroy, Otis Smith, Mike Stromberg, Stan Waldemore, Wesley Walker, and Damien Woody.
