Area organizations join forces to host 4th annual Military Appreciation Day event Friday

The Gig Harbor chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) will host its fourth annual Military Appreciation Day event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday (Aug. 4) at Sehmel Homestead Park.

Aug. 4 was recently adopted as Gig Harbor’s official Military Appreciation Day, said Chrystal Delphia, communications specialist with the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

Mayor Jill Guernsey read the proclamation at last week’s City Council meeting.

“(The acknowledgment) makes this year’s event that much more special,” Delphia said.

The Gig Harbor chapter of AUSA supports the 201st Military Intelligence Brigade out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. AUSA provides services and support throughout the year for soldiers stationed at JBLM and their families, with Military Appreciation Day serving as the chapter’s biggest event of the year.

“AUSA, the city and chamber of Gig Harbor, and PenMet Parks have come together over the years to really make this a fun and meaningful event,” said John Guardia, AUSA Gig Harbor chapter president. “It is a day to celebrate and show our servicemen and women how much gratitude we have for what they do.”

Military Appreciation Day is very close to Guardia’s heart, not only because he has been a lead organizer for the event for the previous three years, but also because he served in the U.S. Army for 24 years.

“This is a special event for both those in and out of the military,” Delphia said. “For service members and veterans, it’s a chance to pay tribute to supportive families and spouses and honor the memory of those who sacrifice for this nation. For the general public, the event provides an opportunity to say thanks to all those who contribute to the U.S. military.”

Event organizers expect around 1,000 attendees to gather in Sehmel Homestead Park for this year’s event, and there will be plenty of activities to keep folks entertained.

“We will be taking advantage of the whole area, from the softball fields, to the turf fields, the park, trails, and the event center,” Delphia said. “There will be food vendors, live music, activities and many opportunities for military families and the community to have a fun and safe day.”

One of the crowd favorite events of the day has been the softball tournament between the military and local fire and police departments. Teams are set for this year’s tournament and the games should be as exciting as ever.

“The softball games are always fun to watch,” Guardia said. “The fire department has won for the past two years so it will be interesting competition this year.”

Gig Harbor native and opera singer Anikka Abbott will start the day singing the national anthem at 9 a.m. The beer garden will open an hour later and the rest of the activities will go on throughout the day. The award ceremony for the softball tournament will start at 3 p.m. to wrap things up.

“Our event is free and open to the public,” said Guardia, encouraging community members to come out and get involved. “People always ask how they can help and just getting involved is so important.”

As Military Appreciation Day continues to grow each year, the highlight of the event remains the same for Guardia.

“Seeing the families and soldiers out in the park enjoying themselves is the best part,” said Guardia. “We are so thankful for the work our military does and giving them a special day of fun is just one way we can express that.”

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 10:36 AM with the headline "Area organizations join forces to host 4th annual Military Appreciation Day event Friday."