Iâve been fortunate to sit through most of the magical moments at McKale Center: Sean Elliottâs Senior Day; the introduction and excellence of Steve Kerr; Lute Olson chopping up Duke.
But until Thursdayâs Arizona-Southern game, I had never been moved with such emotion. Such was the emotion when Air Force master sergeant Christopher Campbell was reunited with his wife and two children in a surprise ceremony.
How did this happen?
It happened because UA athletics corporate account executive Dana Cooper was dedicated to making it work. Cooper teamed with Davis-Monthan Air Force Baseâs Nicole Dalrymple, the baseâs public affairs officer, for six weeks, helping to arrange Campbellâs early return.
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âThereâs so many moving parts,ââ said Cooper, who has worked to honor Tucson servicemen during football games at Arizona Stadium.
Cooper wrote the script delivered over the PA system. UA marketing executive Dan Heck and John Daley, director of video production, prepared the other elements for presentation.
At tipoff, as Tanya Campbell and her two children, Alex and Amelia watched their dad in an overhead video message, taped a few days earlier in Iraq, Christopher hid in the sports information office.
After that it was all tears and cheers.
Cooper says that in all of his years in sports marketing, dating to the 1980s, it was the most rewarding thing he has done.
Merry Christmas indeed.