Honoring Veterans, Military Families and Survivors at Citi Field

We recently had the privilege of standing under the bright lights of Citi Field alongside three amazing people: a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, a Team Citi Paralympian and an inspiring community volunteer. What Tom Seaver, Carlos Leon and Mary Gallagher have in common - which we also share - is a tremendous sense of pride for being part of a community of people who have served our country. As co-chairs of the Citi Military Veterans Network - NYC, it was an honor to participate in such a meaningful tribute to military service.

On the field, we honored Mary for the countless hours she has volunteered with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) since losing her husband while he was serving in the Marine Corps in 2006. She has since given selflessly to provide newly bereaved survivors with support, compassion, and care during an extraordinarily difficult time.

Earlier in the day, our Citi colleague and fellow U.S. Marine Corps veteran Chris Perkins welcomed approximately 200 veterans to a luncheon and panel discussion at Citi Field focusing on veterans' issues, featuring personal reflections from Carlos as well as Tom and other Mets personnel and alumni who have served in the armed forces.

When we arrived at the game, it was gratifying to ascend the escalator and be greeted by a couple dozen of our Citi colleagues volunteering side-by-side with members and staff from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Together, they helped hundreds of Mets fans sign Thank You cards that are already on their way to our troops overseas.

It was also fantastic to see a video about the CredAbility ReConnect financial counseling program up on the Citi Vision during the pregame show. We are so excited about this program and the coalition of veterans service organizations - including IAVA, TAPS, and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN) - that are collaborating with Citi Salutes to empower members of the armed forces, veterans, survivors and their families to take control of their financial lives.

We thank our Citi colleagues, the Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi, and our nonprofit partners for their dedication to serving those who have served.