The Fort Wayne Komets won’t be called the “Komets” this weekend.
For the team’s annual Military Appreciation Weekend on Friday and Saturday, they’ll be the Fort Wayne Blacksnakes. That’s the nickname used by the men and women of the 122nd Fighter Wing, which dates back to the 358th Fighter Group activated in January 1943 at the Richmond Army Air Base in Virginia.
The team will don special jerseys for the games against Indianapolis and Kalamazoo, respectively, and will auction the jerseys off, with proceeds going to Honor Flight of Northeast Indiana.
“The men and women of the 122nd are so proud and honored to have the Komets rename themselves for the weekend,” said Col. Michael Stohler. “It just shows the strong ties our base has with the community.”
That community connection is something the Komets, in their 67th season, don’t take lightly, according to Coach Gary Graham:
“We’ve slowly been building this relationship over the past few years. The chance to wear their logo, to support them, is pretty neat,” Graham says. “When you’re willing to change your brand name, it shows how important this weekend is.”
The Fort Wayne Komets/Blacksnakes Military Appreciation Weekend is sponsored by Big City Cars.
