June 28, 2013 (Seattle) – Brown Paper Tickets has made it easy for anyone to donate tickets to the men and women of the U.S. armed services through a crowdfunding program called “Brown Paper Tickets Salutes.” The Not-Just-For-Profit ticketing company has helped event producers to give more than 21,000 event tickets worth $364,000 to active U.S. Military personnel, veterans and their immediate family members since last July 4, as a way to say “thank you for serving our country.” An integration with the Veteran Tickets Foundation, also known as Vet Tix, allows anyone creating event registration and ticketing through Brown Paper Tickets to donate tickets to veterans with just one click, and to allow ticket buyers to purchase extra tickets that are donated to veterans.
“We are truly humbled by how many people creating and attending events have donated to those who have served our country,“ said William S. Jordan, president and founder of Brown Paper Tickets. The company has the largest commitment to social responsibility in the global ticketing and event registration industry, including donations of 5 percent of profits from every ticket sold to charities in the category of each ticket-buyers choice. “We found that many event producers and ticket buyers just needed an easy way to express their gratitude to those who have served in the U.S. Military; we are honored to help them to share the joy and community created by live events,” Jordan said.
Dozens of types of live events hosted through Brown Paper Tickets, from music festivals and comic book conventions to sporting events, comedy shows, farm-to-table dinners, cooking classes, plays, concerts, burlesque, roller derby and much more, have contributed to the 21,000-ticket donation. “The donation of free tickets from producers on Brown Paper Tickets has dramatically widened the range of ways that veterans can relax, enjoy themselves, share smiles with their families and loved ones, and for some, be re-integrated into civilian life,” said Michael A. Focareto, a U.S. Navy veteran and the chief executive officer/founder of Vet Tix, a nonprofit 501c(3) organization dedicated to matching donated tickets with U.S. military and their families. “The variety of free tickets donated has grown dramatically since Brown Paper Tickets began offering this opportunity to give to its event producers and ticket buyers.”
Military personnel and veterans can browse events offering them free tickets through the Brown Paper Tickets Salutes webpage, click to have their military service verified by Vet Tix, and sign-up for the free tickets by clicking through to the Vet Tix portal. The Brown Paper Tickets Salutes webpage is sharable on social media, so that those who know someone in the military, or a veteran who would enjoy free tickets can view upcoming events and register for this lifetime benefit.
“Brown Paper Tickets is helping us to provide a gift of free tickets, every day of the year, not just on Independence Day, Veterans Day or Memorial Day,” Focareto said. “These 100 percent free events mean everything to veterans, some of whom tell us that this is the first time anyone has said ‘thank you’ for their service.” Military personnel who have benefited from tickets donated through Brown Paper Tickets have posted notes of thanks and photos on Brown Paper Tickets Salutes at: http://community.brownpapertickets.com/LP/BPTsalutes/.
About Vet Tix: Veteran Tickets Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to acknowledging the extraordinary service of Veterans- the kind of people who volunteer to serve their country, put their nation first and own lives second- the kind of people we need to honor every day. We carry out our mission of appreciation by providing free and discounted event tickets to Veterans and Active Duty Service Members.
About Brown Paper Tickets: Brown Paper Tickets (http://www.BrownPaperTickets.com), the Not-Just-For-Profit ticketing and event registration service, revolutionized the live events industry by offering free, professional tools for ticketing any-sized gathering on the Internet, and helping producers to protect ticket buyers with the lowest ticketing fee for the highest levels of customer service in the industry. Brown Paper Tickets donates 5 percent of the profit from each ticket sold to build communities and nonprofits, pays employees to work 40 hours each year for the cause of their choosing, and employs a team of “Doers,” experts in industries such as music, new media, makers, roller derby and more, to fix, improve and revolutionize the communities where we live, work and play.