LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With Derek Carr, Davanta Adams and Hunter Renfrow as her favorite players, 9-year-old Benny Putnam is a dedicated Raiders fan.
9-year-old Benny Putnam’s birthday turned into an unforgettable event, all thanks to the Las Vegas Raiders and Raider Nation.
The 9-year-old from Utah and her father, Dusty, were in attendance at the Raiders’ training camp in Henderson when the unexpected happened.
"I was holding my sign up. And Davante Adams looked at me and he threw the ball to us, but my dad was on crutches and we couldn't catch up and the guy behind us caught it,” Benny said.
Dusty Putnam added, "It just bounced back to somebody a few rows back kinda diagonal, behind us. And after we hit the ball, everybody was like 'Hey man, it's her birthday, he was throwing it to her."
Benny’s mother, Kassi, quickly took to social media to share the experience.
"I shared it on Facebook to actually a Raiders' Facebook group. One of those members on that group actually shared it to Twitter and tagged everybody,” she said. “He was just trying to do it right by Benny."
The response took the family by surprise.
"Just so many words of encouragement from the Raiders community. I probably got close to 100 messages,” Nelson said. “The Raiders sent her the Derek Carr ball, Raider Foundation sent her that Hunter Renfrow signed picture. They also donated two tickets to go down to the preseason game."
Nelson added, "Good things happen every day. It makes us want to give back and do more because now we know how it feels and how it affects us and what positive impact can bring."
Benny and her parents added that they’ll be watching the Vikings and Raiders' first preseason game from the Black Hole at Allegiant Stadium. Benny will be sitting among some of the most passionate fans in Raider Nation on August 14th at 1:25 p.m.
