Army Soldier in Clarksville Surprised with Preds Hometown Heroes Plan

When Sgt. Daniel Badham reenlisted for service at the Army base at Fort Campbell last month, he wanted to commemorate the occasion with a nod to his favorite NHL team.

FOX17 News shared photos of Badham's reenlistment ceremony on July 27 in which both he and Major Matthew Coulthard donned Nashville Predators jerseys with their Army fatigues.

"Daniel became a Preds fan when he was living in Nashville many years ago before he joined the active duty military," Sgt. Badham's wife, Danielle, said. "[He] and Major Coulthard were both huge fans and thought it would be awesome to wear them as a memory."

Moved by the gesture, the Predators reciprocated with one of their own and surprised the Badham family with a 25th Anniversary Hometown Heroes 6-Game Plan presented by O'Charley's and FOX 17.

"On behalf of the entire Predators organization, we want to thank Daniel and his family for their service and proud support of our team," Predators President Michelle Kennedy said. "We are incredibly fortunate to partner with great brands like O'Charley's and FOX17 to bring to life programs that enrich our community like the Hometown Heroes Plan. We are indebted to the work of our teachers, military, first responders and healthcare workers for all that they do."

Accompanied by the Coulthard family, the Badhams received their surprise on Friday at Austin Peay's Govs Fest at Fortera Field in Clarksville.

"Our families' experience [at Govs Fest] was amazing," Danielle said. "We were shocked at all of the support we received from the Preds and O'Charleys. Everyone went above and beyond for us. It was a great memory for the kids as well. These guys never ask or expect to be recognized for joining the military, they do it because they love our country. So it was really cool."

The Badham family, who reside in Clarksville, were also surprised with season tickets to all APSU ticketed sporting events. The Predators also presented Sgt. Badham and Major Coulthard with personalized Predators jerseys at Govs Fest, as well as a gift set from presenting partner O'Charley's. To date, O'Charley's has raised more than $2M for The Folded Flag Foundation, the national non-profit organization that provides educational scholarships and support grants to the families of our country's fallen heroes.

"At O'Charley's, supporting active duty and retired military personnel along with the amazing first responders is core to everything we do," O'Charley's CEO Craig Barber said. "We take our purpose of service outside the walls of our restaurants and into the communities we are blessed to be a part of."

The Predators 25th Anniversary Hometown Heroes plan is exclusively for teachers, military, first responders and healthcare workers verified by GovX. The exclusive plan includes:

"For more than 50 years, we have been proud to call Nashville home and we hope these Hometown Heroes tickets are received with our gratitude for the brave men and women who call Middle Tennessee home to have a fun night with family and friends," Barber said. "They absolutely deserve it. We hope to see them at a game and want to thank the Predators for partnering with us on this important initiative."

For more information on the Hometown Heroes 6-Game Plan presented by O'Charley's and FOX 17, please visit NashvillePredators.com/HometownHeroes.