Sunday's Game Day Activities
September 6, 2007
The Raider Rookie Zone, located on the east side of McAfee Coliseum on the concourse between sections 335-355, is an interactive area that allows young fans to participate in a variety of family focused activities during the 2007 season. Beginning two hours before kickoff, kids of all ages can jump in a Raiders inflatable bounce house, throw a touchdown pass or kick a field goal, or solve puzzles and color while sitting at child-sized picnic tables.
The first 200 kids to participate in the Raider Rookie Zone on Sunday, September 9, will receive a coupon for a free milk shake, courtesy of Red Robin.
The Raider Rookie Zone also has a true professional football feel with the new installation of FieldTurf. About 2,000 square feet of the turf similar to that which covers one of three practice fields at the Silver and Black’s permanent facility in Alameda was donated by FieldTurf for use inside The Raider Rookie Zone.
The Raiders had FieldTurf installed six years ago and now, thanks to the generosity of the Silver and Black and FieldTurf, youngsters will now be afforded the opportunity to romp on that same NFL-quality playing surface inside The Raider Rookie Zone. This is just another way for both FieldTurf and The Oakland Raiders to give back to the community and contribute to the Silver and Black’s commitment to youth and family initiatives.
PRE-GAME AND NATIONAL ANTHEM
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE AND EAST OAKLAND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTER JOIN FORCES TO UNVEIL THE AMERICAN FLAG
One hundred military personnel from Travis Air Force Base will team up with 40 leadership students from the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC) to present the American flag during the National Anthem. The EOYDC students are being honored for their excellent leadership skills during their 2007 summer program. In addition, some students were selected to unveil the American flag because of their outstanding scores in a creative writing class, where the finalists were judged by KRON Channel 4.
NATIONAL ANTHEM
Gloria Loring is scheduled to sing the National Anthem prior to Sunday's game between the Raiders and the Lions. A consummate singer and entertainer, Gloria Loring is the recording artist of the #1 hit song Friends and Lovers; co-composer of television theme songs for Diff’rent Strokes and Facts Of Life; an audience favorite from daytime TV’s Days Of Our Lives; spokesperson for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She is also the author of four books and one of the few artists to sing two nominated songs at the Academy Awards. With 10 albums to her credit, Loring has performed in concert all over North America and Australia and has shared the stage with George Carlin, Billy Crystal, Bill Cosby and Al Jarreau. She’s starred in musicals, movies of the week and television specials, and has hosted television shows and live events.
Honored with the Lifetime Commitment Award from JDRF and the 1999 Woman of Achievement Award from the Miss America Organization, Loring is listed in the World Who’s Who of Women and Who’s Who in America. She is a past president of JDRF Los Angeles and current president of the Lake Arrowhead Foundation for the Creative and Performing Arts. She is married to Emmy Award-winning art director and production designer, René Lagler.
HALFTIME
The Santa Clara Vanguard Organization is a musical and movement youth activity which combines brass, percussion, dance and color guard into a competitive marching unit which travels thousands of miles each Summer performing in large stadiums and other venues. The organization has a reputation of superior excellence known throughout the world. The world-renown, world champion Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps travels between six and eight weeks each summer throughout the United States and Canada performing in competitive field shows and parades. The Vanguard provides instruction for the experienced through the advanced member in the areas of brass, percussion and color guard. The Vanguard won its first championship in 1970 at the American Legion Championships in Portland, OR. In 1971, the Vanguard traveled to Dallas, TX and won the coveted Veterans of Foreign War Championships. In 1972, Drum Corps International (DCI) was formed with the Vanguard as one of the founding members. The Vanguard has won six DCI world championship titles (73, 74, 78, 81, 89 and 99), along with many other regional championships titles. Membership is primarily between the ages of 16 through a maximum age 22 (if 22nd birthday is after June 1). The Santa Clara Vanguard (SCV) was formed in 1967 in Santa Clara, California and are the first organization in Drum Corps International (DCI) history to have two drum and bugle corps in the elite Top 17 of DCI Division I Championship competitions.
