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Spokane Indians

Spokane Indians debut new alternate Friday uniforms as part of ‘Operation Fly Together’ with Team Fairchild

Spokane Indians catcher Willie MacIver (20) fist bumps Colonel Cassius T. Bentley, the Commander of the Fairchild Air Force Base, before a baseball game against the Tri-City Dust Devils on Friday, June 4, 2021 at Avista Stadium. (James Snook/For The Spokesman-Review)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

Last week, the Spokane Indians baseball team announced the launch of a new community campaign, “Operation Fly Together,” in conjunction with Team Fairchild and area veterans groups, centered on honoring and supporting local military veterans.

“If there’s anything more American than baseball, its showing support for our veterans,” Indians team senior vice president Otto Klein said. “Spokane is particularly indebted to Fairchild for producing leaders who have served our country and now are serving our region. As the community’s baseball team we want to celebrate and acknowledge our veterans in a fun way.”

The campaign stems from an agreement – signed on Oct. 23, 2019 – between Team Fairchild and the baseball team, designed to celebrate the KC-135 tanker, build pride for the base’s critical functions and help better the lives of veterans from all services who have settled in the Spokane region.

On Friday, the team debuted its new alternate Friday night home uniforms modeled after the Air Force dress blue uniforms.

“I know the players are gonna love them,” Klein said. “We had a couple (players) model them a week back and they were already telling us how great they are.”

The campaign, supported by STCU, Innovia Foundation, KHQ-TV and The Spokesman-Review, will build financial support and awareness for the newly created Operation Fly Together Veterans Fund. The campaign has been endorsed locally by Spokane County & Eastern Washington Regional Veterans Services.

“We’re excited about it,” Klein said. “We’re excited that not only are we the community’s baseball team, but we can do acts like this that help our community, and we’re proud to be involved.”

A portion of the sales from merchandise will go toward the Operation Fly Together Veterans Fund.

Klein said additional possible campaign elements, which will be debuted over the next few years, include a new KC-135 mascot, ceremonial “12th man”-style flag, educational markers and more.