Photo Credits: Dana/Dutch Cowgill

Video Profiles to Appear on Website Everyday Leading up to Military Appreciation Day

March 17, 2009

HIDALGO, TEXAS - The NBA D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced today that they are conducting interviews with Rio Grande Valley Military Veterans to be shown on rgvipers.com every night leading up to Sunday’s Military Appreciation Day game against the Austin Toros at 3:30 p.m. at Dodge Arena.

The first profile, honoring Vietnam veteran Homer Gallegos, will appear on the website tonight.

“We are happy to be able to put the spotlight on members of the community that have done so much for us without asking for anything in return. Our Veterans deserve to be recognized and thanked for their service, and I want to start by saying thank you to all of them,” Vipers President and General Manager Brian Michael Cooper said.

Episode Four - Minnie Whitzel

March 20, 2009

Episode Three - Nicole Ciurana

March 19, 2009

Episode Two - Tony Cordova

March 18, 2009

Episode One - Homer Gallegos

March 17, 2009

This will lead up to the Vipers’ salute to the military game that will include wearing commemorative camouflage uniforms to be auctioned off for charity after the game.

The first 2,000 fans in the arena will receive a mini-American Flag courtesy of D&F industries.

Veterans can get tickets for $5.

For $10, all fans can get ticket combos (one ticket plus a hot dog, chips and a drink) and beer will be sold for $1.50.

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are a professional basketball team in the NBA Development League (NBA D-League). The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league and features 16 teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams for the 2008-09 season. An expansion team will begin play in Portland, Maine for the 2009-10 season. Sixty former NBA Development League players were on 2008-09 NBA start-of-season rosters, and the league continues to develop current NBA coaches and referees. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote youth basketball, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout this season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.The Vipers NBA affiliates are the Houston Rockets, and the New Orleans Hornets.