Green Bay Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy was presented with a special award this week. Lieutenant Commanding Officer Karen Muntean, Command Chief Joel Stewart and members of the Navy Operational Support Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin paid a special visit to Lambeau Field on Tuesday, July 19, to present the Green Bay Packers with a Certificate of Appreciation for their committed support to the servicemen and women of the United States military.
The Packers have always had the utmost respect for those serving in the military and have taken pride in honoring them during the season. Receiving the recognition from these military representatives was equally as well received by Murphy and the Packers.
"The recognition is truly an honor," Murphy said. "We appreciate everything you do for us and it is important to us that we are able to have our servicemen and women involved with our organization. And I think I can speak for everyone when I say we love our flybys."
Muntean said the recognition from the Packers meant a lot to all those involved.
"The Packers have always shown great support for not only us, but also throughout the military community," Muntean said. "We wanted to be here today to express our thanks for all the Packers organization has done over the years. They have always reached out to us and have given us the ability to not only pay tribute to those who have and are currently serving our country, but also to be involved with their organization in their efforts to provide military support."
Over the years, the Packers have been honored to pay tribute to the men and women serving their country and continue to find new ways to show their support.
Through Operation Fan Mail, a program that recognizes military families at each Packers home game, one family is selected to take the field during pregame activities and stand before thousands of applauding supporters. The program, which debuted in 2007, receives hundreds of letters from interested families each season and has already recognized a total of 38 families.
In addition to Operation Fan Mail, the Packers take pride in sending hundreds of military care packages and messages of support each year. A constant reminder of the dedicated service provided by our troops remains intact at nearly every Packers home game and continues to be a fan favorite – the always exciting pregame flyby.
"The Packers have included us in so many events over the years and have provided our servicemen and women with amazing opportunities," Muntean said. "Everything from gameday tickets, on-field recognition, halftime performance opportunities and occasions for our MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) committee to raise money by cleaning up after games has been great. We couldn't thank them enough."
The Certificate of Appreciation award is given out during the naval reserve's employee appreciation month, held every July, to honor local organizations supporting members of the military. Muntean speaks with all the naval reserve sailors and staff members to learn who has shown support throughout the year. All suggestions are honored as any and all support is immensely appreciated.
