Wenatchee Wild raises funds for veterans with Military Appreciation Night ticket sales

WENATCHEE — Every October, as hockey season ramps up in Wenatchee, David Rayfield trades his desk for a sleeping bag and heads for higher ground — specifically, the balcony of the Town Toyota Center.

Starting Monday, October 13, Rayfield, who serves as Senior Sales and Operations Coordinator for the Wenatchee Wild, will once again camp out above the arena, pledging not to come down until he’s sold 1,000 tickets for the team’s annual Military Appreciation Night.

The game, set for Saturday, November 8, raises funds for two local veterans’ causes: the Wenatchee Veterans Hall and the Thomas A. Biddle Foundation. Tickets cost $20, with $4 from each sale going directly to those organizations. If this year’s effort meets its goal, Rayfield’s six-year total will top $20,000 raised for area veterans.

Rayfield’s annual balcony stay has become a familiar autumn sight: A Wild staffer perched above the plaza, bundled against the wind, waving to passersby and cheering as fans stop by to buy tickets.

And when the 1,000th ticket finally sells, he’ll climb down, join the crowd, and watch the Wild take the ice, surrounded by the same community he’s been rooting for all along.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media