CAMP CASEY, South Korea -- Families new to Area I converged on Camp Casey Oct. 6 for an open air event that showcased the recreational, sports and other services offered by the U.S. Army Garrison Red Cloud Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
Called FMWR Expo '11, the event drew some 2,000 people from the Area I community, said Frank DeSilva, the FMWR director of marketing.
"We had never done an expo before," he said. "It was awesome, it was packed."
The Expo made use of 40 information booths as well as food concessions and prize drawings.
With a recent influx of military families, and with Area I installations spread across a large geographic area, FMWR officials hit on the idea of an Expo "to give them an opportunity to see all the things we do, in one time and one place," DeSilva said.
Services include a robust program of sports and recreation activities, as well as programs geared to youngsters.
Sports activities range from setting up athletic competitions -- track and field, weightlifting, swimming, for example, to hosting peninsula-wide sporting events like the recent Eighth U.S. Army Team Triathlon at Camp Casey. The sports program is so popular that athletes from as far away as Daegu come to participate in certain key events.
Among FMWR recreation activities are operation of recreation centers, which provide pool tables, musical instruments, video games, televisions, and computers with high-speed Internet access for community members. In addition, FMWR operates bowling alleys and golf courses.
Helping meet the needs of military families with children is among FMWR's high-priority activities, Bradford said.
Its Child, Youth and School Services operates an on-post Child Development Center at Casey, as well as youth sports activities, among other programs.
Family member Rebecca Cornell said she found the Expo's information highlighting travel spots in Korea to be especially useful.
"I like how all of the main places to travel here in Korea [are] organized in this Expo," she said.
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