Nov. 7, 2012

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame Athletics Department will observe a military recognition weekend in conjunction with the Notre Dame-Wake Forest football game Nov. 17 at Notre Dame Stadium.

The Notre Dame-Wake Forest game was selected because its date is the closest to Veterans Day of the six Irish home games in 2012.

Various military branches will be represented by their Notre Dame ROTC programs as part of the pre-game flag presentation. Then, all military veterans will be invited to stand and be recognized at the second timeout in the first period of the football game at Notre Dame Stadium.

In addition, part of the Notre Dame band halftime performance will feature patriotic-themed music.

Over the course of the weekend, the athletics department will play host to 10 Wounded Warrior veterans who will attend various combinations of the Friday luncheon and pep rally and the football game on Saturday.

Dot Sheehan, senior associate athletics director at the University of New Hampshire and founder of Operation Hat Trick, will speak at the Nov. 16 Notre Dame Kickoff Luncheon at the Joyce Center.

Operation Hat Trick involves dozens of colleges and universities around the country selling hats to help support the recovery of wounded soldiers and veterans through the VA General Post Fund. The national program features three designs and each school can elect to sell one, two or all three styles produced by collegiate headwear manufacturer ’47 Brand.

The three styles — adjustable camouflage and team color versions as well as a stretch fit style in team color — feature the Operation Hat Trick logo as well as the logo of the school. Ten percent of all sales go to the VA General Post Fund, which provides money to patients and their caregivers for recovery, comfort kits, travel for family members, etc. All VA medical centers nationwide — 152 — receive assistance from the fund. An additional 10 percent goes to each participating school.

Notre Dame Operation Hat Trick hats will be sold next weekend at the Friday Notre Dame Football Kickoff Luncheon, at the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore and at the Varsity Shops at Purcell Pavilion.