Success Story

IAVA & MHL Storm Nationals Park!
August 17 2011

On August 16th, over 500 IAVA members and their families got a real high life experience from IAVA, Miller High Life and the Washington Nationals in Washington, DC. IAVA members got the VIP treatment at a pre-game party before the Washington Nationals took to the field to play the Cincinnati Reds. It was an incredible night out at the ballpark giving our vets a critical opportunity to connect with one another and to sit down with IAVA staff members to learn more about IAVA' Combat to Career campaign, New GI Bill benefits and IAVA’s private online network Community of Veterans.

IAVA at Nationals Park

The pre-game party also set the stage for the appearance of some very important guests! MHL’s iconic “common sense” deliveryman Windell Middlebrooks came out to greet vets and their families, posing for photos and signing autographs. Two of the Nationals’ most popular players Ryan Mattheus and Ross Detwiler also came out to mingle with vets, thanking them for their service and for coming to the game! And of course, all in attendance got the opportunity to meet the Nationals famed mascots – the Presidents and Screech!

But it was also a night of tribute with the Nationals honoring the 30 Navy SEALs, soldiers and airmen lost in the August 6th Chinook crash in Afghanistan. Throughout the game, the Nationals players wore special patriotic jerseys and military-style caps emblazoned with the SEAL Trident. They also led the stadium in a moment of silence and special performance of “America the Beautiful.”

During the game, IAVA member vets and their guests packed the sections to watch the Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds in an exciting game that saw the Nationals take victory 6-4. A few lucky IAVA members were also given a special military salute and access to the exclusive Lexus Presidents Club.

If you missed out on the action at Nationals Park with IAVA and Miller High Life, sign up as an IAVA Member Veteran today and check out The Rucksack for more upcoming gives in your area.

This summer, IAVA and Miller High Life have teamed up to provide $1 million in cash and experiences for unique and once-in-a-lifetime experiences for IAVA member veterans and their friends and families. These experiences include tickets to MLB games, NASCAR races, and more VIP experiences and are distributed through The Rucksack. For every Miller High Life and Miller High Life Light bottle cap returned to stores, Miller High Life will donate 10 cents to help “Give a Veteran a Piece of the High Life.” Through this program, IAVA hopes to provide our membership with an opportunity to experience premium events while connecting with other veterans in their communities.