HOUSTON – Twenty lucky fans and 20 first responders left from Million Air Field at Hobby Airport Tuesday after winning a World Series ticket giveaway at Gallery Furniture.
Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, Gallery Furniture and iHeart Media gave away 10 tickets to Game 6 of the World Series on Wednesday in Los Angeles. Mattress Mack chartered a private jet for all the Astros fans who won tickets.
"What's up man, yeah! I'm speechless this is awesome!" screamed a lucky fan after his name was called.
Astros fans came in droves to the Gallery Furniture on the North Freeway and waited to see if their names would be called for a free ticket.
"I'm going to the World Series. Can't beat that one. I'm so excited! You just don't know, you can't imagine this feeling!" Astros fan Fred Wagner said.
Many of the fans stood outside of the gate for hours, some starting the night before.
They're rooting on the Astros, they're rooting on the city, they're rooting on what it means to be a Houstonian.
"That's what it's all about, we've been through a lot with Hurricane Harvey and the Astros re-energizing the entire city, people going out to Los Angeles and people watching here at home, should be a big night," Mattress Mack said.
In addition to the private jet to Los Angeles, the winners were given ground transportation to sightseeing before going to Dodger Stadium.
The flight is set to land in Los Angeles at 2 p.m.
After the game, the winners will be taken back to the airport, where they will be flown back to Houston Hobby Airport.
Four things you need to know about Mattress Mack’s World Series Express:
1) Seventy-five people departed Million Air at Hobby Airport on a charter flight just after 1 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. The plan for this trip came about late Monday. The flight landed at Los Angeles International Airport just after 4 p.m. Houston time Tuesday afternoon.
2) Twenty first responders were on board the flight. But Mattress Mack was not on the board. Instead he made sure all of the first responders set in first class.
3) Mack gave out twenty tickets at Gallery Furniture on Tuesday morning. The winners had only a few hours to get to Hobby Airport for the flight to Los Angeles.
4) The rest of the passengers include a mix of Gallery Furniture employees, radio listeners who won the tickets listening to the “Michael Berry Show” and media representatives. “Once in a lifetime you know. I still can’t believe it. I didn’t sleep at all last night. So excited.” said Ramon Robles, Sr. He and his son, Ramon Robles, Jr. were on the flight. Robles, Jr. said, “Game 6 of the World Series and we get to go to LA to see them play and Verlander on the hill. You can’t write a script like this.”