Murphy-Goode Honors Troops At The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

HEALDSBURG, Calif., Dec. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Murphy-Goode will toast to the troops for the second year this Monday, Dec. 30, as the official wine partner of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl and presenting sponsor of the bowl's ESPN VIP Party. As part of the sponsorship, Murphy-Goode will host 100 military service members as its guests to the game. In addition, the Healdsburg-based winery will present a check on-field for $300,000 to Operation Homefront, the national non-profit that provides emergency financial assistance to military families.

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"We're proud to be a part of this special event hosting military service members for a fun day since they can't be home for the holidays," said David Ready, Jr., the Murphy-Goode winemaker whose father, grandfathers and great-grandfather were veterans. "We're humbled to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for our country."

Murphy-Goode began partnering with Operation Homefront in Fall 2011 and has donated nearly $365,000 since the inception of their partnership — with more to come — to the San Antonio, Texas-based organization.

"The holidays can be a tough time for military families, as service members are often separated from loved ones due to deployments," said Jim Knotts, President and CEO of Operation Homefront. "We're fortunate to have generous partners like Murphy-Goode, who help us ease the burden on military families through funding of support programs and services, which help boost morale and honor the selfless sacrifices of those who serve and those who support them at home."

This is Murphy-Goode's second year as a sponsor of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.  The 11^th anniversary Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will feature the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders versus the Navy Midshipmen. This is the first year that the bowl will be hosting the Navy team. 

"We are thrilled that Murphy-Goode is back as our wine partner and VIP sponsor for the second year," said Brant B. Ringler, executive director of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. "Their passion and enthusiasm for supporting the military through their continued work with Operation Homefront is inspiring."

The ESPN VIP Party presented by Murphy-Goode will be held inside the bowl's official fan fest area, the Armed Forces Adventure Area, both before and after the bowl game played in honor of the men and women of the U.S. armed forces. This invitation-only party will host invited military officials, wounded warriors, local dignitaries, corporate partners and others.

ABOUT THE BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL
Owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl has featured the "armed forces" theme since 2006. Patriotic overtones recognizing all five branches of the service are prevalent throughout the game. Past Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowls have included fan-fest areas showcasing armed forces hardware; flyovers; demonstrations by several of the military's top skydiving teams; custom homes awarded to wounded warriors; on-field induction ceremonies; armed forces bands and honor guards; the annual Great American Patriot Award presented by Armed Forces Insurance;and the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America.

ABOUT OPERATION HOMEFRONT
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers with nationwide presence who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has met more than 750,000 needs of military families since its inception in 2002.  Accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holding an "A" rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy, nationally, 95 percent of total donations to Operation Homefront go directly to programs that provide support to our military families.  For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.

ABOUT MURPHY-GOODE WINERY
Located in the beautiful and acclaimed Alexander Valley region of Sonoma County, Murphy-Goode is a family-owned winery known for award-winning California wines spanning Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Founded by Tim Murphy, Dale Goode and David Ready, Sr. in 1985 and now part of Jackson Family Wines, Murphy-Goode believes in great wines and good times with family and friends. The winery is proud to support Operation Homefront and its work with wounded warriors and the families of service members.

Learn more online at http://www.armedforcesbowl.com, www.operationhomefront.net and www.murphygoodewinery.com. Follow us at https://twitter.com/MurphyGoodeWine  and https://www.facebook.com/MurphyGoodeWinery.

Murphy-Goode Winery, Healdsburg, CA

SOURCE Murphy-Goode Winery