Wear Army or Navy college apparel for free Chick-fil-A food

The Chick-fil-A restaurants in Santee and La Mesa in San Diego’s East County region will reward college football fans this Saturday, Dec. 14 in recognition of the Army vs. Navy college football game. The annual game, which began in 1890, is considered one of the most traditional and enduring rivalries in college football.

Between 10:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Dec. 14, at the Santee Chick-fil-A or Grossmont Chick-fil-A in La Mesa, guests wearing apparel of the Army Black Knights or the Naval Academy Midshipmen will be randomly selected to receive a free food item to redeem at a future visit.

The promotion is prompted by the past military record of the two Chick-fil-A restaurant operators. Kyle Steck, operator of the Santee Chick-fil-A, 9418 Mission Gorge Road, Santee, served in the U.S. Navy, while Rick Preciado, operator of the Grossmont Chick-fil-A, 8200 Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa, served in the U.S. Army.

Steck, a San Diego native, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. His active-duty career included time spent on two ships before he retired as a Lieutenant in 2011.

Preciado, born in the Panama Canal Zone while his father was in the U.S. Army, went on to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Perciado served on active duty for five years, including spending time in South Korea, and retired as a Captain. The 6-foot-3 Preciado actually played for one season for the Black Knights as a walk-on freshman punter in1985. Navy won 17-7 that year.

This year’s game between the Midshipmen (9-2) and the Army Black Knights (5-7) will be played in Philadelphia. No matter what team you are rooting for, everyone will be a winner this Saturday at your East County Chick-fil-A locations.