Since its inception in 2008, the Veteran Tickets Foundation, or Vet Tix, has distributed more than 36 million tickets to military members, veterans, first responders, and their families.
In 2022, the nonprofit provided more tickets to vets, service members, and first responders than it did in its first eight years of operation. Its best year to date came in 2025, when 8 million tickets were distributed. Through late March 2026, Vet Tix has handed out nearly 2 million tickets to the military community this year.
Related: This Medal of Honor recipient came up with the idea for the Super Bowl
Those tickets cover sports events, concerts, performance arts, and educational and family activities, per the Vet Tix website. Some of those events are the biggest game in town.
It doesn’t get any bigger than the Super Bowl.
Seeing the Super Bowl in Person
In 2023, Vet Tix sent eight of its members and their guests to the big game: Super Bowl LVII. The Kansas City Chiefs’ 38-35 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12, 2023, wasn’t just a memorable game for the VetTixers who went.
It was a milestone for Vet Tix, which Navy vet Michael Focareto founded nearly two decades ago.
“I joined the staff at Vet Tix in 2016, and since I’ve been here, we’ve gone from distributing over 3 million to more than 15 million tickets,” said Steven Weintraub, Vet Tix chief strategy officer. “We’ve been able to grow our members, and when teams, leagues, and promoters see how we’ve been able to get fans to their shows and games, it’s like a snowball rolling down a hill.”
Super Bowl LVII wasn’t the first time that Vet Tix offered tickets to the NFL’s signature game. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Green and Army veteran Brad Overton attended Super Bowl LIII on February 3, 2019, when the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Atlanta. They were the lucky winners of a lottery through Vet Tix’s Tickets for Troops program.
In 2026, Vet Tix sent five military veterans to Santa Clara, California, to attend the Seattle Seahawks’ 29-13 victory against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on February 3.
What Are Virtual “Appreciation Coins”?
Professional sports leagues, organizations, and teams provide tickets to Vet Tix, as do musical acts, promoters, and venues. Some universities have “Tickets for Troops” programs for donated tickets, and Vet Tix uses monetary donations to buy tickets, too.
For an active-duty service member, veteran, or family member of someone killed in action to receive tickets, they must first sign up at the foundation’s website to become eligible.
Keep in mind that some events are just going to be more popular and more requested than others. Nothing against your local symphony orchestra, but a Beyonce concert will receive more requests for tickets.
To handle this, Vet Tix allows users to accrue virtual “appreciation coins,” which can be earned in various ways. For example, referring an eligible friend to Vet Tix nets a member 15 coins once they sign up and their status is verified. Submitting a thank-you note accompanied by a photo of you at the event can earn up to 30 coins. (Vet Tix shares the photo with the event donor.)
How the Vet Tix Lottery Works
Virtual coins are only earned, not bought or transferred. Coins are used for wagering ticket requests for high-demand or popular events that are available via a lottery. Events that have a lottery associated with them will state that in the event notification.
As of March 2026, more than 4,600 events were listed on the foundation’s website.
“For every coin wagered in the lottery, your name goes into the lottery that many times,” Weintraub said. “Then our algorithm selects the winners completely at random and sends an email notification to those selected for the event.
“Once the delivery fee is paid, the tickets are transferred. If you’re not selected, you’re notified and you get all your coins back so there’s nothing to lose by wagering coins.”As Vet Tix grows, so does its visibility and record of success among donors, performers, promoters, and sports leagues. Besides the Super Bowl, it has also given out tickets to the World Series, NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs, and the NCAA Tournament’s men’s basketball Final Four.
“We rely on the generosity of our donors, but we can make some smart spends,” Weintraub said. “You just never know what’s going to pop up.”
