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WZTV FOX 17 - Top Stories
It's a story we first brought you earlier this month, and it touched so many, we're bringing it back. FOX17 Reporter Eric Alvarez has more on a father and son that set out on a cross-country mission combining football and American Heroes. Specialist Fabian Salazar and Staff Sergeant Derek Genck have more reason to appreciate a peaceful night at the stadium than most. When times were at their worst in Iraq and Afghanistan they weren't sure if they'd ever set foot on American soil again.
"I got blown up in an IED," says Salazar. "I broke my right femur."
"I was hit with shrapnel from a rocket in Balad, Iraq in 2006," says Genck.
Monday night they were back home, and not just on any American soil. They were on the gridiron, the same grass where heroes tread, and legends are made. During the Monday night football game between the Titans and the Jets, 70,000 fans showed them who the real heroes are, and just how much their service and sacrifice are appreciated. It's all thanks to Craig and Matt Steichen, a father and son from Chicago on a mission to visit all 32 NFL stadiums in a single season. What started as a father/son trip turned into a calling, and at every stop, they take 2 wounded warriors to the game with them. This father/son odyssey started in their hometown, the Windy City. From there, they went to New York City and then Denver and so on, visiting 31 stadiums in 15 weeks. Music City was the last stop on this incredible journey.
"We've gone 40,953 miles in 103 days," says Craig Steichen.
32 stadiums in half as many weeks meant the Steichens had to hit several cities in one weekend several times.
"There was 2 stretches where we had 6 games in 9 days," says Craig Steichen. "We were home 32 hours in a week."
No matter how tired they were, giving up was never an option.
"If this journey was about football, I would have quit after about week 3," says Matt Steichen. "But I've never once wanted to quit because I know that there's 2 guys waiting for me at every single stadium and I get to make a difference in their lives."
"To go out of their way to help people, strangers to them," says Genck. "They don't even know who we are until we meet, you know, it's phenomenal."
For the Steichens, it's moments like these that make it all worth it.
"I got blown up in an IED," says Salazar. "I broke my right femur."
"I was hit with shrapnel from a rocket in Balad, Iraq in 2006," says Genck.
Monday night they were back home, and not just on any American soil. They were on the gridiron, the same grass where heroes tread, and legends are made. During the Monday night football game between the Titans and the Jets, 70,000 fans showed them who the real heroes are, and just how much their service and sacrifice are appreciated. It's all thanks to Craig and Matt Steichen, a father and son from Chicago on a mission to visit all 32 NFL stadiums in a single season. What started as a father/son trip turned into a calling, and at every stop, they take 2 wounded warriors to the game with them. This father/son odyssey started in their hometown, the Windy City. From there, they went to New York City and then Denver and so on, visiting 31 stadiums in 15 weeks. Music City was the last stop on this incredible journey.
"We've gone 40,953 miles in 103 days," says Craig Steichen.
32 stadiums in half as many weeks meant the Steichens had to hit several cities in one weekend several times.
"There was 2 stretches where we had 6 games in 9 days," says Craig Steichen. "We were home 32 hours in a week."
No matter how tired they were, giving up was never an option.
"If this journey was about football, I would have quit after about week 3," says Matt Steichen. "But I've never once wanted to quit because I know that there's 2 guys waiting for me at every single stadium and I get to make a difference in their lives."
"To go out of their way to help people, strangers to them," says Genck. "They don't even know who we are until we meet, you know, it's phenomenal."
For the Steichens, it's moments like these that make it all worth it.
Saturday, December 29 2012, 05:57 PM CST
Tennessee News
Tenn. Powerball ticket worth $1 million
May 19, 2013 18:44 GMT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A Powerball ticket sold in Tennessee barely missed winning a share of an estimated $590.5 million prize. But the ticket has a nice consolation prize worth $1 million.
Officials say the Powerball ticket worth $1 million was sold in Chattanooga.
There's no word yet on who won.
A Powerball ticket sold at a supermarket in Zephyrhills, Fla., matched all six numbers selected Saturday night for the estimated $590.5 million prize. It's the highest Powerball jackpot in history.
The winning numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball of 11.
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