UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Roughly 6,000 members of the military and their families will be on hand this Saturday to watch Penn State take on Temple at Beaver Stadium, thanks to the generosity of the greater Penn State community. This year's donated ticket total is more than double the 2,500 total sold in 2013.

"The outpouring of support from our Penn State faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends who donated to our Seats for Soldiers program has been truly overwhelming," said Michael DiRaimo, special assistant to the president for Governmental Affairs.

DiRaimo, who chairs the University's Military Appreciation Executive Committee, updated the Board of Trustees Committee on Outreach, Development and Community Relations at its meeting today (Nov. 13). He said the support includes more than monetary donations. "We have about 350 volunteers who will be working hard on Saturday in support of the Military Appreciation game day experience."

ROTC elite, active duty, Wounded Warriors and veterans will be honored for their service to our country throughout the game.

-- There will be a pregame tailgate for those attending the game through the Seats for Soldiers program.

-- A special commemorative coin honoring Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Michael Murphy will be used for the coin toss.

-- Gold Star parents John and Mary Ann Cahir will be present on the field for the coin toss, representing all Gold Star and Fallen Families. Their son, Marine Sgt. William J. Cahir, a 1990 Penn State graduate, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009. John Cahir is University vice provost and dean emeritus for undergraduate education and professor emeritus of meteorology, and Mary Anne Cahir is former director of development for the Philadelphia region.

-- Penn State student veterans and ROTC members will hold a giant American flag on the field for the National Anthem.

-- Blue Band alumni who are on active-duty will perform with the Blue Band during pregame.

-- Veterans will participate in the halftime Parade of Champions, which honors individual and team championships earned in 2013-14.

The noon game will be aired on ESPN2, the Penn State Sports Network and GoPSUsports.com.

For more information, visit http://news.psu.edu/story/326825/2014/09/18/administration/penn-state-military-appreciation-efforts-grow-significantly online.

For information about Penn State's year-round military appreciation efforts, visit http://military.psu.edu/ online.