As tens of thousands of people expect to see Garth Brooks over the weekend at the Sprint Center, at least one local hero will be in the crowd.
Firefighter Justin Falls recently won the "Prize Fighter" contest put on by Q104 Kansas City and was awarded free tickets and a meet-and-greet with Brooks.
"It was pretty surreal," he explained. "Things like that don't really happen for me very often."
Falls was nominated for the contest by his wife, Heather.
The contest put on by the radio station was held to honor local heroes who have made a difference in the metro area.
After the station received hundreds of nominations, Falls was chosen in a random draw.
"Growing up in my house, we had two religions. We had football and we had Garth Brooks. That was it," he said.
Heather and Justin attended Friday's show after buying tickets.
However, both of them know the Saturday concert in particular will leave them with many memories.
“I didn't sleep last night, and I probably won't sleep tonight,” explained Heather. “I’m so excited."
On Friday, Garth Brooks spoke to 41 Action News about being able to honor local heroes.
“My brother was in law enforcement forever,” the singer said. “My two best buddies are both captains in the fire department."
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Brooks said he hoped the prize could serve as a small way to give back to men and women who do so much.
“You see these guys have sweet souls,” he explained. “They just want to help people. So, I think we should do something special for them."
A Johnson County Sheriff’s Office deputy was also chosen as a winner of the Q104 contest.
Both men will attend Saturday afternoon’s concert and meet Brooks beforehand.
Ahead of the big day, Falls said he was excited for the opportunity.
“It's beyond words for me to be able to meet probably the greatest entertainer that's ever lived in Garth Brooks, just shake his hand and take a picture with him,” he explained.
After Friday’s kickoff concert, Brooks will hold four more shows over the weekend.
On both Saturday and Sunday, Brooks will play at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Sprint Center.
