Lights FC To Beef Up Security For Saturday’s Helicopter Cash Drop Promotion At Cashman Field

By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com

 

The Las Vegas Lights FC is beefing up security for Saturday night’s half-time promotion that involves a helicopter dropping $5,000 on the soccer field and having 200 fans run around and grab the cash.

 

It’s another one of the Lights’ zany promotions this year to drive traffic to their soccer matches at Cashman Field, while also trying to heighten interest in the first-year United Soccer League team. The team’s attendance at Cashman is among the highest in the USL, kind of a Triple-A soccer league in the U.S.

 

Lights owner Brett Lashbrook said the team is paying a company for using a helicopter for two hours from 7-9 p.m. Saturday when the Lights host LA Galaxy II. The helicopter will have someone managing a money-shooting device like a confetti shooter that will pump out bills in denominations from one dollar to $100 to the playing field at Cashman, Lashbrook said.

 

The Lights will hire Metro police officers and extra security to be on hand to control the promotion, while also dress the 200 cash-grabbing participants in special soccer jerseys to make them distinct from other fans in the venue, Lashbrook said.

 

There will be no test run of the helicopter cash drop during the week, Lashbrook said.

 

In 2014, Samford University used a helicopter for a money drop promotion on its baseball field after Samford played a baseball game against Alabama. Here’s a video of that event.

Lashbrook said he did not expect any trouble or security problems from the money drop at Cashman.

 

“I’m incredibly confident that adults will behave appropriately,” Lashbrook told LVSportsBiz.com Sunday.

 

The Lights owner said the team is trying to recruit people he described as “local celebrities” to help load the helicopter with money before the game, open the helicopter door to allow the money to be dropped or perhaps shoot the money down to the pitch.

 

The 200 fans who will get a try at collecting the money must be at least 18 years old and sign a waiver.

 

“It’s a fun promotion. We’re trying to find ways to entertain fans that are biggger and crazier,” Lashbrook said.

 

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The team has struggled on the field this season with seven wins, 13 losses and six draws, but the soccer club is certainly making a name for itself with its zany ways.

 

The Lights include two llamas from downtown online retailer Zappos in the pregame player introductions on the field,  have a colorful technical director (“El Chelis”) who joined fans in the stands and smoked a cigarette after he was tossed from a home game earlier this season and are known for having a crazy goaltender who makes mad dashes up and down the pitch outside the penalty area.

 

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