May 19, 2024
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St. Charles group grants wishes of veterans, first responders to attend sporting events nationwide

Operation Warrior Wishes will host about 150 heroes at Super Bowl events this week

By Eric Schelkopf
Special Forces veteran Anthony Netto of San Diego greets South Elgin police officers while arriving for a Warrior Wishes fundraiser at Royal Hawk Country Club in St. Charles July 24. The event benefits Operation Warrior Wishes, a non-profit that brings veterans to sporting events. (Mary Beth Nolan for Shaw Media)

Special Forces veteran Anthony Netto of San Diego greets South Elgin police officers while arriving for a Warrior Wishes fundraiser at Royal Hawk Country Club in St. Charles. The event benefits Operation Warrior Wishes, a non-profit that brings veterans to sporting events. (Mary Beth Nolan)

What began as a father-son challenge to see a game in each NFL stadium during one season is now in its 10th year of helping fulfill the wishes of members of the military as well as first responders to attend sporting events nationwide.

The nonprofit organization Operation Warrior Wishes, headed by St. Charles resident Craig Steichen and his son Matt, will be hosting about 150 heroes at Super Bowl events this week.

Craig Steichen said the group started as a dream to be the first father and son to ever attend an NFL game at all 32 NFL stadiums in one season.

At the same time, they wanted to give back and came up with the idea to invite wounded warriors as their guests to each game to thank the soldiers for the service and sacrifices they had made. Their efforts were put in the spotlight when former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka mentioned them on ESPN Monday Night Football and offered to pay for their expenses.

“We politely declined because we were not a charity and there was no reason why he should pay us back,” Craig Steichen said.

They later changed their minds and accepted his donation so they could create the nonprofit organization Operation Warrior Wishes in 2013.

The group has gone beyond Craig Steichen’s expectations.

“We’ll hit our 10,000th wish sometime this summer,” he said.

The group grants the wishes of both active and retired veterans as well as first responders.

Because Matt now has kids, Craig Steichen is the one taking trips across the country.

“We don’t do it together anymore,” Craig Steichen said. “I do all the traveling but he’s doing all the behind-the-scenes stuff.”

Craig Steichen is touched after reading letters from those helped by the group.

To help fund the group’s efforts, a golf outing has been held in past years. The golf outing was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic and last year it was rained out.

The golf outing this year is planned for Aug. 7 at St. Andrews Golf and Country Club in West Chicago.

To nominate someone to receive a wish, go to the organization’s website at warriorwishes.org. The website also has information about how to donate to the organization.

St. CharlesKane County