This weekend the husband had a friend visiting from out of town and they planned to go to a Thunder game. My parents have season tickets so he hit them up and they gave them to him. The seats are in the nosebleed section, like seriously about the fourth row from the top but hey, it’s still a game and we were grateful, so no complaining. Then a friend of the hubby’s who also has season tickets, which are not in the nosebleed section, offered to sell his tickets. So the hubby upgraded. We already had my parents tickets so I called them to see if either of my sisters could use them or if my parents wanted them back. No one could use them so about an hour before the game I decided that M and I would go.
We all went to the game together and when the guys parted way I gave husband a quick kiss and proceeded to the escalator. I noticed a guy at the top of the escalators staring at M and I but didn’t really think anything of it. He was in a Thunder shirt with a badge around his neck, he looked official so I just thought he was there as crowd control. Or something. As we stepped off the escalator he approached us. I thought he was coming to check our tickets but instead he said “How come the guy you kissed went one way and you guys came up here?”
I was really too startled to do anything except respond, so I said “Because we’re sitting in different sections.” To which he handed me something and said “Not anymore.” I looked down and what he had given me were two tickets to a suite. Which I thought was totally awesome.
When we went back down we ran into the guys, I told them what happened and asked if they wanted to upgrade. But they wanted us to take the tickets so off to the suite we went. Now, I’ve never been in the suite section of the games but I knew right away it was different. Usually you see fans wearing Thunder shirts and tennis shoes – that’s pretty much standard game day attire. Except not in the suite area – I swear 95% of the women I saw were wearing riding boots. The other 5% were in sandals or Toms. No tennis shoes for this crowd. That’s when I realized how expensive the suites must be and I got even more excited.
I’m thinking this must be some kind of random promotional thing sponsored by the Thunder and was feeling pretty happy we were picked. We walk into the suite and there are a few people there and someone comes up and tells me there are beers and sodas in the fridge – to help myself. A little bit after the game starts the guy that gave me the tickets is there and he comes up and tells me that my husband can come over and instructs me to go ahead and invite him. Which I did.
Husband asks me who’s sponsoring the suite and suggests hitting them up for a donation for our conference silent auction. So I find the lady that told me about the sodas and asked her who was sponsoring it and she tells me that it belongs to her and her husband (the guy who gave me the tickets). I was floored. I really thought it was something Thunder was doing and while I was grateful, it was nothing like the appreciation I had when I learned it was just the generosity of two individuals. And I do mean generosity – they had a dessert cart come by and told us to order anything we wanted. M got ice cream and jelly beans and was in heaven.
I found out that they own an oil drilling company and invite employees and business associates to the games but always try to give away a few seats too. They were the nicest, most generous people. I started a conversation with a man there and found out he was their personal driver but they made sure he was able to join them to watch the game. How cool is that?
It was just a really cool experience – the game itself, but mostly witnessing people who were so willing and eager to share.
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