Wounded Warrior Project fundraiser raffle winner to fire Skipper at Boston College game
For the third consecutive year, the Skipper Crew of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has organized a raffle to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.
The raffle winner will have the opportunity to fire the Corps of Cadets’ cannon, Skipper, during pre-game activities prior to the Virginia Tech versus Boston College football game on Nov. 1.
The Skipper Crew will be selling raffle tickets for $1 at the center of the Drillfield from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29 and Friday, Oct. 31. On Thursday, Oct. 30 they will sell tickets from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the Drillfield.
The gun captain will draw the winner after the raffle ends on Oct. 31. The winner will be notified that evening.
The winner will spend a day as a member of the cannon crew for the football game with all the perks of a junior-level cadet: escorting the cannon across campus, observing pre-game from the field, and firing the cannon. The winner can choose to stay with the crew on the practice field during the game, or may re-enter the stadium after pre-game if they have purchased their own ticket.
Operated by an elite crew of no more than 15 cadets, the cannon is a symbol of family, tradition, and Hokie pride.
During Hokie Village, at the beginning of every game, and at every Hokie score, the rumble of the nearly 1,000-pound cannon can be heard throughout the Blacksburg community and for one special Hokie that rumble will be less than 10 feet away during the Virginia Tech versus Boston College game.
Skipper was created by three cadets from the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Class of 1964, Alton “Butch” Harper, Homer “Sonny” Hickam, and George Fox, who came together with one goal in mind; to have the biggest game cannon the world has ever seen.
For the next 50 years, Skipper and those cadets that maintain it’s legacy, the Skipper Crew, became embedded within the tradition of Virginia Tech, becoming one of the most recognizable icons of the Corps of Cadets and the university.
To this day Skipper continues the tradition outset by its founders, serving as a guide for the corps, alumni, fans, and all of Hokie nation. Skipper Crew is sharing this once-in-a-lifetime experience with one lucky winner, but all can support the Wounded Warrior Project by purchasing raffle tickets.
In echo of the university motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) and the Corps of Cadets commitment to the U.S. military and focus on serving others, the crew will donate 75 percent of all proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project. The remaining money raised will go toward crew expenses.
