Santa Rosa communirty hosts military appreciation picnic

When Santa Rosa County throws a party for the military, they make it a good one.

Approximately 2,000 service men and women, their families, retirees and civilian employees at Naval Air Station Whiting Field enjoyed the generosity of the community May 13 during the annual Military Appreciation Day Picnic. The event is hosted on the base each year to coincide with Military Appreciation Month and is the highlight of the area’s recognition of military personnel.

Roxanne Meese was the chairman of the committee charged with planning the event, and spearheaded several new initiatives that helped make the event a tremendous success.  Foremost among these was setting a later time for the event to encourage more families to come out and enjoy the day.

“The people I talked to after the event felt it was the biggest one yet,” she said. “I think we were really able to reach out and touch the families this time.  There were more kids here and playing on the bouncy rides than I can remember.”

She also said the band received a lot of positive comments, and bringing Decadent Nation to play during the picnic was another major change from years past. The committee coordinated with Morale Welfare and Recreation who worked to bring the band through a Navy entertainment grant.

For more on this story, see the May 26 edition of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.