Detroit Lions fan whose emotional reaction to playoff win went viral gifted tickets to next game
(CBS DETROIT) - Video of Arron Wikaryasz crying tears of joy at the Detroit Lions playoff game last Sunday has since gone viral. And now the fan will be able to attend the next matchup thanks to the Sam Bernstein Law Firm.
Wikaryasz spoke with CBS News Detroit on Tuesday about the reason behind his emotional reaction that was captured on TV. He said he was remembering his late father, who was a season ticket holder.
His father also helped build Ford Field.
"My dad was a season ticket holder from '99 to 2001, and that was special to him," he said. "He got two tickets ... and that other ticket was for me and me only. Before the season tickets, we had already loved the Lions. And I think my dad had, he had surprised me at those, in the '99 season, and those were all at the Silver Dome. I got to watch the last game at the Silver Dome when the Lions beat the Cowboys. That was a pretty cool moment."
Wikaryasz did not have tickets for the upcoming game on Sunday, Jan. 21, prompting the law firm to do something about it.
Mark Bernstein surprised him with a pair of tickets at the firm's office on Thursday and a football autographed by Detroit legend Barry Sanders.
"When we saw Arron's story, it touched our family," Bernstein said in a written statement. "We have great memories of going to Lions games with our dad (Firm founder Sam Bernstein) and listening to Arron talk so emotionally about his father made us feel like he was somebody we knew. We reached out to him as soon as we could and couldn't be happier to provide him with the Firm's tickets for Sunday."
