Last week, Peyton Manning went the extra mile to meet an Alaska-based fan.

According to the Indianapolis Star, Indiana-native Kristen Patterson wrote a letter on behalf of her husband, Army Sgt. Ryan Patterson, a lifelong Manning fan. (Apparently, Ryan would set his alarm to watch Manning’s games — even while on tour in Afghanistan.)

Kristen had sent the letter in September, hoping to meet the star quarterback when the Pattersons were visiting family in the midwest from their home in North Pole, Alaska. Unfortunately, she forgot to provide any contact information.

But that didn’t stop Manning and the Broncos.

Per the Indianapolis Star:

“When I got a call from (an Alaska) State Trooper they asked if I wrote a letter to Peyton Manning,” Patterson said, adding that she was confused at first. “They said the Denver Broncos were trying to get a hold of me. When I sent it, you never know if someone is going to read it or if it is going to be tossed in a pile. So I thought they never read it, no big deal.”

Manning spent time with the couple at his hotel in Cincinnati before Monday night’s game against the Bengals.

Ryan spoke highly of Manning:

“He seemed genuinely tickled that we lived in North Pole, Alaska. He said, ‘You guys are really hard to find,'” Patterson said. “Before he left he shook my hand and thanked me for my service one more time and I thanked him for being my quarterback.

(Thanks to the Indianapolis Star for sharing this story.)