Thunder await attendance milestone
The lucky 5,000,000th fan will receive a great selection of prizes from the Thunder. The prize package will include two season tickets and a parking pass for the 2006 season, $50 gift certificates to Roman Hall, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Marsilio's, Applebee's, and Kat Man Du, an autographed team ball, an assortment of Thunder merchandise plus four tickets to a 2006 Yankee game. The lucky fan will also be honored on the field prior to the game, spend a half inning on the Thunder radio network during the game and have their picture on the Thunder website.
The Thunder entered the 2005 season with an attendance of 4,607,588 fans. The team has drawn 389,398 to this point in the season and now stand 3,014 fans away from the 5 million mark.
The Thunder welcomed their 1,000,000th fan through the gates of Waterfront Park in 1996. The 2,000,000th fan Charlie Brown of Trenton, NJ, swept through the turnstiles in 1998. The 3,000,000th fan was eight-year old Grace Conway of Yardley, PA during the 2001 season. The 4,000,000th fan was Kevin Burch of Flemington, NJ during the 2003 season.
The Thunder should also eclipse another attendance mark on September 4. They will become the only team at the Double-A level to draw 400,000 fans for eleven consecutive seasons.
The game on September 2 against the Harrisburg Senators features an NJEA backpack giveaway for the first 1,500 children ages 5-15. The series with the Senators continues on Saturday night with fireworks and a trip giveaway to Spring Training thanks to US Airways. Saturday night the Thunder will also announce the recipients of the 2005 Hamilton Jewelers Fan Favorite Award and the Samuel Plumeri Sr. Community Service Award after the game. Sunday is Sirius Satellite Radio NFL Night with post game fireworks. The Thunder season finale is set for 1:35 on Monday. It is the Great American Thunder Picnic with $1 Hamburgers and $1 Hot Dogs.