Bengals nonprofit Project Game-Dey honors veterans and fans with disabilities

Zoom in: Project Game-Dey, a local nonprofit that sends people with disabilities and military veterans to Bengals games, will honor a father-daughter duo Sunday when Cincinnati takes on Pittsburgh.

• Brilee Myers, 12, has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and a vision impairment. Sunday's game will be her first time seeing the Bengals play in person.

• Her dad, Brian, is a Marine Corps veteran whose military career ended after a severe hip injury. He now works for Cincinnati Public Schools.

Flashback: Project Game-Dey began in 2024 when a group of Bengals-loving friends hosted an NFL draft watch party to raise money for game tickets.

• Since then, the nonprofit has honored 28 people, co-founder Joe Streck tells Axios.

How it works: Honorees receive game tickets, parking, concessions, spending money and a custom Bengals jersey.

• They're also celebrated at a pregame tailgate, where fans hear their stories and can contribute to future experiences.

Case in point: Streck recalls one young honoree, Frankie, who had a liver transplant and sometimes uses a wheelchair.

• Frankie danced at his tailgate, met Ja'Marr Chase on the field and received a pair of the receiver's gloves.
• "Those are the moments that make all the hard work worthwhile," Streck says.

Get in the game: Fans can nominate honorees, volunteer or donate.

• "We may only be giving someone tickets to a football game on paper," Streck says, "but in reality, we're creating memories."