A children's charity founder donated 30 tickets to rehabilitating Marines and depot Marines for a college bowl game at Qualcomm Stadium Dec. 30.

Dillon Foundation founder Jim Dillon purchased 100 Holiday Bowl tickets and gave the other 70 tickets to the San Diego Police Department's neighborhood office in City Heights for distribution to local children. Dillon has donated tickets to the Holiday Bowl for the last 6 or 7 years.

According to Dillon, he gives away the tickets because he wants to help people out and give them the opportunity to enjoy themselves at the football game. The game includes pageantry and fireworks for spectator enjoyment.

This year's game was between the 23rd-ranked Texas Tech University Red Raiders and the fourth-ranked University of California Golden Bears. The stadium was a sea of blue and gold as the locals swarmed in, expecting their team to shut out the red and black from Texas Tech.

Some fans sported red and black, including Marines who got tickets were either from Texas or fans of Texas teams like Sgt. Shelby D. Rickerson, service record book chief, Permanent Personnel Administration Branch, who brought along his wife, Margaret.

"I came last year when the (University of Texas) Longhorns played," said the Houston native. According to Rickerson, he couldn't make it to see the Longhorns in the Rose Bowl, so he doesn't mind rooting for another Texas team.

"I was happy to get the tickets so I could watch Texas," said Austin, Texas, native Cpl. Adrian A. Jasso, Medical Holding Platoon at Naval Medical Center San Diego.

According to the MHP Marines, many Marines don't ever leave the hospital the entire time they are there because they don't know anyone. They seize these kinds of opportunities to get away when they can.

The Marines enjoyed the event as Dillon intended and left with smiles as Texas Tech defeated Cal 45-31.