Operation Warrior Wishes, formerly known as All32in17, began as a father and son bucket list as a dream to be the first father and son duo to ever to attend all 32 NFL stadiums in 1 season.
Craig & Matt Steichen, a father and son from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, bonded through attending sporting events together. Their passion was going to football games. In February of 2012, Matt was building a scrapbook with pictures of all the stadiums him & his dad had visited. As he pieced it together he had an idea to create a sports bucket list for him and his dad to complete. The first item on the bucket list was to attend an NFL game at every stadium across the country in their lifetime. But then Matt asked his Dad a simple question; “is it possible to attend a game at all 32 NFL stadiums in 1 season?”
The answer was unknown. Over the next few months Matt and Craig patiently waited for the 2012 NFL schedule to be released in mid April. The day the schedule was released, the duo spent all night trying to logistically map out if it was possible.
They discovered it was possible to get to all 32 stadiums within the 17 week season; however, due to the cost of attending an NFL game, the cost of travel, the fact that Matt was married to his high school sweetheart, and working a full time job made this task seem more impossible than possible. They knew it wouldn’t be easy, but they decided to take a leap of faith and try to complete the journey anyways.
Over the next few months, Matt and Craig planned their tour and budgeted their finances to turn their dream into a reality. But after all the planning they both felt as if something was missing. Matt and Craig wanted to find a way to make this trip special and take this journey for a greater cause and that’s where their journey turned into a mission.
Matt and Craig brainstormed a few different ideas on ways they could give back along the way. They ended up coming up with the idea to invite wounded warriors as their guests to each game to thank the soldiers for the service and sacrifices they had made.
The Inspiration
Matt’s grandfather Leo and Craig’s brother (Matt’s uncle) Ken, both served in the United States Navy and Ken is actually a wounded warrior himself. Ken and Leo are a couple of Matt and Craig’s heroes. Both Matt and Craig both agreed that bringing wounded warriors to each game was a great idea because it would give the warriors an opportunity to get out and have some fun while it gave Matt and Craig an avenue to say thanks and raise awareness to veterans.
Their official mission began on September 5th 2012 in New York City. Not really knowing what they were getting themselves into, Matt and Craig met Marine Corp Petty Officer Damian Smith and Gunnery Sergeant Chris Claude. From the moment they met they both knew their mission was going to be special. All four of them went and had lunch before heading to the stadium to watch the game. During the pregame, they spent time on the sidelines then they got to see the 2012/2013 NFL season kickoff. While at lunch and at the game, and on the train ride back to New York, Matt and Craig spent time listening to Chris and Damian’s stories and got to know each other.
That day changed Matt and Craig’s life forever. They both realized that this trip was going to be so much more meaningful than just going to football games. The mission gave them a greater appreciation for the service and sacrifices the men and women of our armed forces make for our freedom. It was a life changing experience for them both.
In all Matt and Craig visited their 32nd stadium in a world record time of 103 days. More importantly, they had honored over 65 wounded warriors during the regular season and planned to continue their mission during the playoffs with hopes of honoring warriors at the Superbowl!
The Father & Son Traveled over 30,000 Miles to Make Warrior Wishes Come True at All 32 NFL Stadiums in a World Record 103 Days
Thanks to Mercedes Benz Matt & Craig reached that goal and had 4 warriors at the big game! In just over 4 months they have honored 75 warriors at a total of 35 NFL games in 1 season!
ESPN had shared their journey with the world on Veterans Day which opened up a lot of doors for the father & son team. Da Coach, Mike Ditka had even offered to pay for their entire trip. The Steichens accepted Coach Ditka’s offer, but did not take the money for themselves. Instead they took the money and created Operation Warrior Wishes. A 501c3 non-profit organization to continue their mission of honoring military warriors from the battlefields to the ballfields.
In 2013, Operation Warrior Wishes was blessed to have New Era sponsor their “ALL32IN17” mission and the father & son were able to double what they accomplished in 2012.
Since organizing as a 501c3,Operation Warrior Wishes has been honored to host thousands of warriors at hundreds of events across the country. They have been humbled to also host Gold Star Families as their guests too.
Craig, Matt & the 7 other board members continue to volunteer their time to make these warrior wishes come true & are very conscious of how the organizations’ money is spent. Since becoming a 501c3 the organization is proud to say that more than 95% of donations have gone directly to making warrior wishes come true and giving back to the warriors!
The father & son could not have created this organization without the help of so many people along the way. The father & son are extremely thankful for everyone who has helped them give back to the ones who give us our freedom. They never imagined how giving back to these warriors would have changed their lives forever. They want to help educate people about the sacrifices these brave men and women make for us & inspire others to go out and make a difference.
Operation Warrior Wishes has expanded its operations to Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Football, NASCAR, & other Entertainment Events. Their goal is still the same. They strive to honor as many warriors as possible & provide unforgettable experiences along the way!