Honoring Those who Serve, Protect and Sacrifice: Twins' Salute to Service Weekend Presented by Securian Financial set for September 11-13 at Target Field

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins, in partnership with the Minnesota National Guard, today announced plans to honor first responders, veterans and active service members from five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces during the September 11-13 Salute to Service Weekend presented by Securian Financial at Target Field. All three Twins vs. Cleveland Guardians games this weekend will include pre- and in-game ceremonies: Friday night, the Twins join Major League Baseball in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001; Saturday, the club hosts the inaugural Veterans Service Organization Day; and Sunday marks the Twins’ 23rd Armed Forces Appreciation Day.

“The Minnesota Twins are proud to celebrate our true heroes — the brave men and women who put their lives on the line every single day to protect our freedoms and to serve our communities, our state and our country,” said Nancy O’Brien, Twins senior vice president, community engagement. “Baseball has always been our nation’s great uniter; the ballpark a place of healing, the game a source of joy and its shared experiences a thread that connects generations. Salute to Service Weekend at Target Field is a needed time to pause, reflect and thank those whose service and sacrifice make Twins baseball possible. We are grateful to our partners at the Minnesota National Guard and Securian Financial for their support.”

Salute to Service Weekend Tickets Available

Tickets for all three games of this weekend’s Twins vs. Cleveland Guardians series — Friday at 7:10 p.m., Saturday at 3:10 p.m. and Sunday at 1:10 p.m. — can be purchased at twins.com, by calling 612-33-TWINS or 1-800-33-TWINS, or in-person at the Target Field Ticket Office. The following ticket offers are also available:

• Military Discount presented by Evolv Technology: 50% off Diamond Box High or Upper Deck tickets for all active military members or veterans with a valid ID, plus up to three guests. Purchase at Target Field or online via GOVX here.
• 4 Tickets for $40: Get four Home Run Deck Terrace tickets for $40; available online here.

Friday and Saturday Flyovers

Friday night’s game will feature a pregame flyover by a Lockheed C-130H3 aircraft, operated by the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Squadron/133rd Airlift Wing based in St. Paul. Sunday’s flyover will include four T-6A Texan aircraft, piloted by members of the 39th Flying Training Squadron “Cobras” from Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Overview: Salute to Service Weekend presented by Securian Financial

• 9/11 Remembrance (Friday, September 11): The Twins and Guardians will join Major League Baseball in commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Pregame ceremonies at Target Field will honor those we lost that tragic day and since, salute the heroism of all who sacrificed their own lives to save others, and celebrate those who continue bravely serving our communities and our country.
• Veterans Service Organization Day (Saturday, September 12): The inaugural Veterans Service Organization Day celebrates military veterans for their service to our country, and honors 21 groups working every day to serve and assist veterans and their families.
• Armed Forces Appreciation Day (Sunday, September 13): The 23rd Armed Forces Appreciation Day celebrates America’s 250th birthday by honoring our military communities — the generations of brave men and women who have stood up in the face of danger to be part of something bigger than themselves. Continuing a proud tradition that began in 2003 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the Twins will again salute veterans and active service members from five branches of the United States Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard), while paying respect to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service of our country. The first 15,000 fans through the Target Field gates will receive a handheld American flag.

Taking Our Most Deserving Out to the Ballgame

The Twins, a proud Yellow Ribbon Company, are donating 2,500 tickets throughout Salute to Service Weekend to first responders, veterans, active service members and their families, along with veterans service organizations.

Through the “Seats for Soldiers” program, many UnitedHealthcare Champions Club and Thrivent Club season ticket holders, along with suite holders, have generously donated their Sunday tickets to wounded warriors and current service members and their families. Additionally, Gold Star Families, whose loved ones served and died while on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States of America or its allies, will be hosted in donated suites and seats.

-- Below is a full lineup of planned ceremonies for Salute to Service Weekend presented by Securian Financial --

9/11 Remembrance – Friday vs. Cleveland Guardians (7:10 p.m. first pitch; gates open at 5:00 p.m.)

Pre- and in-game ceremonies are scheduled to include:

• Six wreaths, each representing a different group and commemorating lives lost, will be placed behind the pitcher’s mound pregame, then moved to the flag poles near Gate 34 for the game. The wreaths will honor:
  • United States Armed Forces; placed by Brigadier General Simon Schaefer, who led an airport security detail to restore confidence for travelers following the attacks.
  • Law Enforcement; placed by Shakopee Police Chief Jamie Pearson and Golden Valley Assistant Chief Rudy Perez.
  • Firefighters; placed by John Cunningham, a Connecticut firefighter who responded to Ground Zero after the attacks and later became Brooklyn Park Fire Chief.
  • Emergency Medical Services; placed by Scott Brethorst and Shane Hallow from Hennepin EMS.
  • International Citizens; placed by Army Major Olukayode Oni, a Nigerian immigrant and now American citizen and officer in the Minnesota National Guard.
  • American Citizens; placed by Jim Anderson, retired United Airlines captain and founder of the United Pilots 9/11 committee.
• The American flag will be raised in honor of those lost during the 9/11 attacks and in the war on terror by Major General Retired Jon Safstrom, who served in the U.S. Armed Forces for more than 36 years and, on 9/11, flew with the Duluth- based 148th Fighter Wing to patrol the skies and keep Minnesota safe.
• The Twins Territory flag will be raised by Albert Beasley, who, along with fellow Cottage Grove firefighters Calvin Beasley, Rick Able and Ron Stober, volunteered to assist at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks.
• A ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Ian Mason, a Mae and George Siller Tunnels to Towers Foundation Scholarship Program Ambassador. Ian is the son of Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Mason, who passed away from a service-connected illness in 2007.
• The National Anthem will be performed by trumpeter Mark Holton.
• A flyover by a Lockheed C-130H3 aircraft operated by the St. Paul-based Minnesota Air National Guard’s 109^th Airlift Squadron/133rd Airlift Wing.
• “God Bless America” will be performed during the seventh-inning stretch by Sergeant Nathaniel Olson, a vocalist and trumpeter for the 204th Army Reserve Band out of Vancouver, Washington and Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

Veterans Service Organization Day – Saturday vs. Cleveland Guardians (3:10 p.m. first pitch; gates open at 1:00 p.m.)

Pre- and in-game ceremonies will include:

• On-field and/or videoboard recognitions of 21 veterans service organizations: American Heroes Outdoors, Believet Golf Tournament; Beyond the Yellow Ribbon; Blue Star Mothers of America, Inc.; Camp Bliss; Can Do Canines; Gaits of Hope; Golden Valley Fire Department; McLeod County Veteran Services; Meals on Wheels; Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV); Outdoor Warrior Nation; ROGER UP; Soldier’s 6; The American Legion; The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW); United Services Organizations (USO); Veteran Resilience Project (VRP), Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and 23rd Veteran.
• The American flag will be raised by two distinguished veterans representing the Paralyzed Veterans of America Minnesota Chapter and their advocacy for quality healthcare, civil rights and adaptive sports programming that help veterans regain independence: Corporal Todd Kemery, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1978 to 1983 as a Helicopter Maintenance Specialist; and Staff Sergeant Robert York, who served in the U.S. Air Force as a Flight Surgeon Surgical Assistant from 1996-2000 and in the Air National Guard from 2000-03.
• The Twins Territory flag will be raised by MDVA Commissioner Brad Lindsay, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom who served 14 years with the U.S. Army and is the recipient of the Combat Action Badge, the Army Achievement Medal and two awards of the Army Commendation Medal.
• A ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by retired Major General Neal Loidolt, who is retiring from his position as President and CEO of MACV after a 30-year military career that included service with the Minnesota National Guard, multiple deployments and numerous honors.
• The National Anthem will be performed by Specialist Austin Kulm from the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division Band.

Armed Forces Appreciation Day – Sunday vs. Cleveland Guardians (1:10 p.m. first pitch; gates open at 11:00 a.m.)

Pre- and in-game ceremonies will include:

• Military vehicles on display at Target Plaza outside Gate 29.

• The first 15,000 fans through the gates will receive a handheld American flag.

• Ongoing performances by the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division’s Boots n’ Brass Band from the third-floor balcony.

• The traditional “Race Around the Bases” will feature two military children:

  • 13-year-old Coraline Hoaglund, daughter of Major Josiah Hoaglund, who enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2008, was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010, has been awarded the Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal, among other accolades, and currently serves as a chaplain with the 934th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserves.
  • 13-year-old Benjamin Swanson, son of Master Sergeant Kerri Swanson, who enlisted into the U.S. Air Force in 1998, has served multiple deployments, has been awarded two Air and Space Commendation Medals, four Air and Space Achievement Medals, and an Army Achievement Medal, among other accolades, and currently serves as an Aerospace Medical Technician with the Air National Guard.

• Minnesotans’ Military Appreciation Fund (MMAF) Grants, presented by MMAF Board Members Roger and Nancy McCabe, will be awarded to the following:

• Sergeant Trace Smith of Savage, who served with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division of the U.S. Marine Corps and deployed to Kuwait in 2019.

• Staff Sergeant Armando Barrios of Hibbing, who serves with the 148th Fighter Wing of the Minnesota Air National Guard and recently returned from a deployment to Kuwait.

• Specialist Trevor Good of Monticello, who serves with A Battery, 151st Field Artillery, of the Minnesota Army National Guard and recently returned from a deployment to Iraq and Kuwait.

• Technical Sergeant Derek Jahn of Shoreview, who served with the 133rd Security Forces Squadron of the Minnesota Air National Guard and deployed in the Middle East under CENTCOM in 2020.

• More than 20 Families of the Fallen will be hosted in donated suites and special seats; families will display photos of their fallen service members on their respective suite balconies during the pregame ceremonies.

• As per Armed Forces Appreciation Day tradition, the Twins will remember and pay tribute to Twins Territory service members whom we have lost during the past year. We remember Chief Warrant Officer 3 Steven Gilmer, Staff Sergeant Ryan Eiler, Sergeant First Class Nicole Amor, Sergeant Declan Coady, Major Jeffrey O’Brien, Sergeant Dillon Hansen, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Mark Simon, Staff Sergeant William Howard, Staff Sergeant Edgar Torres-Tovar and Specialist Samuel King.

• In recognition of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), which assists fostering a culture in which employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserves, the Twins will celebrate three ESGR award-winners: Securian Financial, Medtronic and Starkey Hearing Technologies.

• Honoring veterans and active service members who live, work and serve in Twins Territory today — and the countless others who have done so for generations — the Twins are celebrating the exceptional contributions of:

  • Infantryman Ryan Boecker of Becker, who serves with the Minnesota National Guard’s Moorhead-based 2^nd Combined Arms Battalion of the 136th Infantry Regiment, and works for JT Construction, a family-owned landscaping and hardscraping company. In May 2026, when his boss collapsed from cardiac arrest at a construction site, Ryan performed lifesaving chest compressions while paramedics were en route; his boss was stabilized, airlifted to a hospital and returned home 13 days later. The Twins proudly honor Infantryman Becker for his courage, composure and service in uniform and in the community he calls home.

  • Master Sergeant Ryan Kelly, who serves as Combat Medic for the Minnesota National Guard and a Lieutenant for the Minneapolis Police Department. In August 2025, Lieutenant Kelly was among the first responders to Annunciation Church and School; his rapid arrival and blaring sirens helped prevent further tragedy, while the immediate medical care he provided inside the sanctuary saved lives. The Twins proudly honor Master Sergeant Kelly for his extraordinary courage, leadership and lifesaving intervention in the face of unimaginable horror in his community, along with his 18 years of service to his country.

  • Sergeant Jonathan Erickson, a Flight Medic in the Minnesota Army National Guard, a full-time firefighter paramedic and a recipient of a Congressional Gold Medal Award. In July 2026, Erickson and his Guard unit flew rescue missions in wildfire-ravaged areas of Northern Minnesota; his aircraft was equipped to extract people in emergencies, while his on-flight medical treatment provided life-saving care to those in need. The Twins proudly honor Sergeant Erickson for his selfless and dual service in protecting Minnesotans.

  • The Twins will thank and salute the Minnesota National Guard’s Alpha Battery of the 1-151 Field Artillery, which deployed to the Middle East in summer 2025 in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Staff Sergeant Adam Hutchinson, Staff Sergeant Blake Freudenberg, Sergeant Brandon Heath and Sergeant Mason Schmidt will represent Alpha Battery.

  • A ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Captain Tony Kaskinen of the Minnesota National Guard, who embodies service to community and country. He worked as a gym teacher for St. Paul Public Schools and as an athletic trainer for Concordia University, before turning his military logistics background into a full-time career; Captain Kaskinen currently serves with the 134th Brigade Support Battalion at Camp Ripley and has deployed to Iraq.

  • A special Perkins Starting Lineup will be introduced, comprised of service members from the Minnesota National Guard Army and Air as well as the Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard reserves: Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew Castillo and Specialist Jared Headebird (Army National Guard); Staff Sergeant Todd Baker and Airman First Class Paige Bushard (Air National Guard); Chief Petty Officer Nathan Ernst (Navy); Sergeant Adam Henke (Marine Corps); Lieutenant Colonel Jessie Miller (Air Force) and Lieutenant Shannon Young (Coast Guard).

  • The Twins (1st base line) and Guardians (3rd base line) will line up on the baselines during our National Anthem, accompanied by current service members from the Army (1st base line), Air Force (1st base line), Marines (3rd base line), Navy (3rd base line) and Coast Guard (3rd base line).

  • The Twins Territory flag will be raised by Adeline Amor, daughter of Master Sergeant Nicole Amor, who lost her life in service to our country in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, on March 1, 2026. Adeline and her family established a nonprofit in her mother’s honor, called Operation Nikki’s Embrace. Celebrating the deep peace and joy she found in gardening, the foundation creates places where life can grow and hearts can heal. Adeline will be joined by her father, Joey, and her grandmother, Deb.

  • The American flag will be raised by retired Air Force Sergeant Tim Schryver, who served two tours in Vietnam as a member of a Forward Mobility Team in the 366th Combat Support Group. Staff Sergeant Schryver was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal; he later returned home and served his community through a distinguished career at Honeywell. He will be joined by his son, retired Army Major Bob Schryver, who served with the 88th Regional Readiness Command of the Army Reserves and deployed to Guatemala and Iraq.

  • A second, giant American flag will be unfurled in the outfield by current service members from five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, along with Twins staff members who have served our country, and family members of the 34^th Military Police Company, which is currently deployed in the Middle East.

  • The National Anthem will be performed by members of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division’s Boots n’ Brass Band.

  • A flyover by four T-6A Texan aircraft, piloted by members of the 39th Flying Training Squadron “Cobras” from Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

  • The Play Ball Kid for Armed Forces Appreciation Day, Josiah Hoaglund, represents all Minnesota military kids and families. Josiah is the younger brother of “Race Around the Bases” contest Coraline and son of Major Josiah Hoaglund, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who continues servicing as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves.

  • “God Bless America” will be performed during the seventh-inning stretch by Sergeant Nathaniel Olson, a vocalist and trumpeter for the 204th Army Reserve Band out of Vancouver, Washington and Fort Snelling, Minnesota.