Celtics honor armed forces with annual ‘Seats for Soldiers’ night

Each year, the Boston Celtics honor the men and women of the armed forces with "Seats for Soldiers" night.

Season ticket members and corporate partners join the Celtics in donating tickets to enlisted military personnel of all branches. During the game, the Hero Among Us Award is given to a member of the armed forces in attendance.

Dave Hoffman, Vice President of Community Engagement for the Celtics and the Shamrock Foundation, spoke with our own Chris Forsberg about the annual event.

Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.

"There's so many things that we can do as an organization to kind of uplift people and show appreciation," Hoffman said. "Boston is such a philanthropic community. It's such a giving community to be in. I'm really privileged to be able to operate in that environment every single day.

"We put out the call to the season ticket members. You get 41 games a year. Anyone want to give up one of the games for a chance to give it to a serviceman or woman to come in if they're not from around here and they happen to be in town right at the Coast Guard station down the street in the North End or otherwise to come to a game, get a chance to kick back a little bit and relax watching Boston Celtic basketball?

"But the stuff that really moves me is when I see a serviceman or woman coming in with their family."

After the game, military servicemen and women get a chance to meet and shoot around with a Celtics player. In addition to members of the armed forces at TD Garden, military bases from around the globe are teleconferenced into the arena to watch the game.