Reunited at the Rink

Sgt. Amanda Wright had the amazing opportunity to surprise her father, mother, and brother after being deployed in the Horn of Africa for the last nine months. During the first period of the Penguins and Canadians game Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena, Amanda got to give her family an unforgettable moment.

While the Wright family was given a warm welcome on the videoboard, Amanda was able to sneak up behind them and let them know she was home.

“There was a lot of emotions, definitely, just adjusting back and kind of coming back to reality and just life here,” she said. “Everything kind of happens so fast, I didn’t really have time to think about until I was outside the door. I was so nervous.”

Her mother, father and brother couldn’t believe what was happening in the moment, but for Amanda, their reactions were perfect.

“It took them longer than I thought they would, so that was kind of funny because I was just like ‘Hey’, and they were like ‘Oh my gosh!’” she laughed. “That was pretty funny, but they did eventually see that.”

Sgt. Wright has served for four years with the PA National Guard1-112^th Infantry Battalion. Amanda grew up in Erie with her mother, Christine, father, James, and brother, Christopher. James is a Navy veteran, while Christopher is a veteran of the Army.

“My brother and my dad are both veterans, so it was just as much for them as it was for me,” Amanda said. “I tried to surprise them before, but they had too many suspicions. So, this was nice because they had literally no idea I was going to be here.”

Growing up, Amanda learned how to shoot from her father and saw her hobby grow into her career. She also was inspired by her brother to join ROTC right after high school. With the major influences that Amanda’s family has had on her life, having the chance to orchestrate this moment meant the world.

“This has been quite a crazy journey,” she said. “There’s been more people involved in it than I realized, and honestly, I don’t even have the words to say how thankful I am.”

This incredible night wouldn’t have been possible without the help and support of the Pittsburgh Penguins, 84 Lumber, and the United Services Organization.

“I’ve been doing this for a decade. Very often, this doesn’t work out. But every time it does, it never gets old,” said Jenna Anderson, Area Operations Manager, PA of USO. “So, every time is like the first one you see. You’re watching, and you’re crying. You’re feeling the love, the excitement, the nervousness of the service member getting ready to do the surprise, as well as the family not knowing.”

Amanda’s favorite sport is hockey, and she tries to watch as many Penguin games as she can, but it is sometimes challenging depending on where she is deployed. Now that she’s home for a bit, Amanda plans on enjoying these next few weeks with her family until she deploys for the National Guard full-time.

“Being able to reunite a family is the best feeling that you can have,” said Amy Smiley, Vice President of Marketing for 84 Lumber. “I definitely was very emotional in that moment, and I think that everyone was emotional if you were watching that live at the game. It makes everything that we do with the Penguins 100% worth it.”

For the fifth-consecutive season, 84 Lumber has been named the presenting partner of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Military Appreciation Game, which will take place on Monday, November 11 at 7:00 PM against the Dallas Stars. More details can be found here.