National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) Gives Back to Ronald McDonald Houses All Over The Country

I've been a licensed ticket broker for 39 years now.  My company, Applause Theatre & Entertainment Service Inc. has been providing personal service and expertise, helping New York City bound travelers in obtaining Broadway Shows, Concerts and Sporting Events.

Although for most of my career, I've gotten to know many of the local New York tri-state area ticket brokers here and there, I've had the pleasure of getting to know dozens of additional ticket broker industry professionals over the past seven years by participating in the NATB Gives Back Charity Program and its 32 for 32 NFL Preseason Football Program.  Simply put, ticket brokers from all over the country (and some in Canada) come together every summer to donate preseason NFL football tickets to every one of the 32 NFL markets around the United States.  32 tickets are donated for each of 2 preseason home games in all of the NFL markets.

The idea of the 32 for 32 Program is a simple one really.  Ticket brokers are giving back to the local community by donating thousands of tickets every summer, sending the children and families staying at local Ronald McDonald houses around the country to NFL football games in their area.  The kids are undergoing treatment for life threatening illnesses and attending the games helps to take their minds off of their daily challenges.  In addition, ticket brokers often volunteer their time to help out at their local Ronald McDonald House throughout the year.

Since my company is located in and primarily handles tickets to events in New York City, we have been assisting the NATB Charity Committee with coordinating ticket broker, ticket donations for the New York Jets and New York Giants football teams.  We work with 6 Ronald McDonald houses including New York City, Long Island, Valhalla, Albany as well as 2 houses in Central New Jersey.  For 7 years, the youngsters and families staying at Ronald McDonald houses have been enjoying the football games.  Many families have sent us pictures of them having a great time at the games along with letters of appreciation.

My post today is simply to give a big "thank you" to the dozens of NATB Gives Back Charity ticket donors for their incredibly generous participation in the 32 for 32 Program throughout the entire United States.  Many of the ticket companies, some not yet members of the NATB, contribute to this program as well by donating money and/or tickets to the games.  To date ticket brokers have given over $1.6 million dollars in the 7 years as well as volunteer hours and I thought it made sense to acknowledge their tremendous generosity and dedication to this great cause.

Ticket brokers are a very special group.  They stop what they are doing and get involved.in this program. The NATB Gives Back Program has regional coordinators in all 32 NFL markets that help make phone calls, send email requests, network, collect and deliver the tickets to their local Ronald McDonald House contacts and do everything they can to ensure everyone attending the games has a great time.  In the 7 years since I've been involved with the charity committee, I've had the great pleasure to get to know many of the ticket brokers. Especially this year as my company has had the privilege of assisting with collecting donations on a national level.

Personally, I'm very proud to know the woman and men that contribute to the NATB Gives Back Charity Program.  They're very special people.  They really are.

We regularly receive ticket donations from season ticket holders around the country for this charity program as well. Many season ticket holders donate their personal tickets to this cause.  So whether you are a ticket broker or not  If you want to consider getting involved in the NATB Gives Back Program, we'd love to hear from you.

You can contact me personally at 212-307-7050 or by writing  me at rich@applause-tickets.com or contact Terry Stevenson at the NATB office by calling 630-510-4521 or writing her at tstevenson@integrated-solutions.com.

I hope you enjoyed this post on NATB Gives Back Charity and Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Regards
Rich Gladstone
President
Applause Theatre & Entertainment Service Inc.
723 7th Avenue, Suite 902
NY NY 10019

About National Association of Ticket Brokers

The NATB was formed in 1994 by a group of concerned ticket brokers who desired to establish an industry-wide standard of conduct and to create ethical rules and procedures to protect the public and foster a positive perception of the industry. While the goals of the NATB are many, our primary goal is to represent the interests of legitimate ticket brokers by promoting consumer protection and educating the public about our industry. This is done by assuring the public that when dealing with an NATB member, they are working with an honest, reliable broker that will deliver what is promised. In addition, the NATB has created a platform that allows the public to report unethical conduct by ticket brokers.

About NATB Gives Back

NATB Gives Back was formed by the NATB Board of Directors with the mission of making a positive impact in the communities which support its member businesses. NATB Gives Back endeavors to do this by providing leadership, programs, and education to the NATB members and by forging partnerships with charitable and community organizations.  Additional information is available at http://www.natb.org/

Ronald McDonald House Charities, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile are all registered trademarks of McDonald’s Corporation or its affiliates and are used with permission.