First Responders on Center Stage in Dallas
By Art Garcia
There’s no hiding the excitement felt by the Western Michigan Broncos and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers after getting the call that they were headed to the Dallas for the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Not only is the invite a reward for a successful season, the meaning behind the bowl isn’t lost on any of the participants.
“We’re honored to be coming and playing,” WMU athletic director Kathy Beauregard said. “We know that Western Michigan will represent what you stand for.”
The Broncos closed out their home season by honoring Kalamazoo-area first responders. Community members purchased tickets to allow first responders to attend the game in much the same fashion as North Texas businesses and bowl corporate partners do for the First Responder Bowl.
The Broncos are no stranger to the postseason in Texas, having played in the 2017 Cotton Bowl. The Hilltoppers are making their first bowl trip the area for the Dec. 30 matchup at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on the SMU campus.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to come to Dallas,” WKU coach Tyson Helton said. “Such a great city. It’s such a great place to have a bowl game. I know our kids will be very excited to represent Western Kentucky and play against a really good opponent in Western Michigan. They’re excited, No. 1, to have the opportunity to play one more game but to be able to play a really good opponent like Western Michigan will be exciting.
“It really is a celebration for our team and our players of how far they’ve come and what they’ve been able to accomplish. I couldn’t think of a better place or a better spot to go to than the First Responder Bowl in Dallas. We’re ecstatic.”
Western Michigan’s last visit to North Texas ended with a narrow loss to Wisconsin. Though the Broncos couldn’t pull off the upset, the experience left a lasting impression.
“We have a true love for the state of Texas and Dallas,” Beauregard said. “The opportunity, the warmth and generosity, just the support that we felt, the warmth of being welcome. Everything that you guys do, you do it big in Texas. For us to be able to come back to the Dallas area and have such wonderful memories that we had there, but look at expanding those in another bowl opportunity that’s in your great city that the community supports.”
Recognizing the service and sacrifices made by those who are the first to arrive and assist at the scene of an emergency is central to the bowl’s mission. Among the many planned activities is a halftime presentation of bullet-proof safety vests to more than 600 first responders.
“The game is a full tribute to our first responders, not just police and fire, that’s also EMS, armed forces, 911 operators, anyone who helps our local community 24/7, 365 days a year,” SERVPRO First Responder executive director Brant Ringler said. “We want to say thank you for their service to our communities. Throughout the game we will be honoring them different ways with various giveaways to honor first responders who have been injured or hurt in the line of duty. We also want to highlight some of the heroics of first responders.”
Art Garcia is a veteran award-winning sportswriter who’s worked at NBA.com, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and San Antonio Express-News. He’s also contributed to ESPN.com, FOXSports.com, DFWPressBox.com and various national and local publications.