OKC Thunder hosts first Military Appreciation Night Published March 12, 2009 By John E. Banks Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., -- The Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association hosted their first Military Appreciation Night March 4 at the Ford Center before a crowd of 17,654. The Tinker presence for the event was varied and well represented. "The history of Oklahoma and Tinker Air Force Base has a storied and rich tradition and we wanted to say thank you to all the service members for all they do for us," said Christine Berney, community relations director for the Thunder. The evening's festivities started with an invocation given by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) William Toguchi, 72nd Air Base Wing. After the invocation, Sailors from the Fleet Reconnaissance Squadron FOUR Shadows presented the colors, along with the Thunder Girls. This display received a huge standing ovation from the fans in attendance. "This is an outstanding event. It is a great thing to have the Thunder show their appreciation for the military in this way," said Jeffrey Jackson, VQ-4. Jackson was an integral part of the opening ceremony. He was selected to wave the Oklahoma state flag as a rendition of the state song, "Oklahoma," was played. The fans, players and management of the Thunder all recognized the importance of having a Military Appreciation Night. "Our franchise has prided itself on reaching out to the Oklahoma City community to include the military. We pride ourselves on hosting these special nights," said Daniel Barth, Oklahoma City Thunder executive vice president and chief administrative officer "This is our way of showing the military community in Oklahoma City we care and appreciate everything they do," said Berney. The evening ended on a good note as the Thunder defeated the Washington Wizards 88-83. "This was a great night for the Thunder and the military," said fan Matt Quagilera. "It is a great way to show our community appreciation for the military."