On May 6 and 7, the staffs of the Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem Commissaries, respectively, hosted a customer appreciation day to honor the patrons who keep the stores up and running.

"We just wanted to show our patrons how much we appreciate them," said Marilyn Pargo, Fort McPherson commissary store manager. Normally, both commissaries would hold a case lot sale in conjunction with Fort McPherson's birthday, May 4, Pargo said. However, due to BRAC, holding such an event was not feasible, she said.

That didn't keep customers from getting good deals normally associated with case lot sales, said Susan Edmonds, Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem commissary director. At each of the one day sales, customers could take advantage of savings up to 40 percent, Edmonds said. Such savings were made possible through the generosity and support of various vendors, Edmonds said.

"We met with sales representatives and asked for their best deals. The sales reps came through with some fantastic deals," she said. General Mills, Nabisco, Coca Cola, Frito Lays, Kraft and Quaker Foods all contributed to the event by providing deals on their merchandise, savings which the commissaries in turn passed on to shoppers, Pargo said.

Some representatives went even further, actually participating in the event. Chris Robinson, a representative of Kraft, was at the Fort McPherson Commissary Customer Appreciation Day, handing out hot dogs and drinks to customers waiting in line. "As a former Soldier myself, I know you got to support troops 100 percent," said Robinson, a retired sergeant major. "This (Kraft's support of the event) is just one small way to show Soldiers and their Families we support them and wish them the best. It feels good to do this."

As for the customers, what felt good was saving money. "I'll probably save about $100," said James Wade, a 2nd officer, U.S. Merchant Marines. The Merchant Marines is an auxiliary to the Navy and transports cargo and personnel for the military. Wade, who said he usually shops at the Fort McPherson Commissary for meats, said he was hosting a cookout, and the deals helped make that cookout much cheaper. "Meats are a lot more expensive elsewhere," he said. "My money goes further here."

The only complaint he had was the long lines. At both events, customers filled entire aisles as they waited in line. For Denise Rogers, wife of retired sergeant first class Preston Rogers, the lines weren't so bad, especially when considering the savings she expected. "I'm shopping for three boys," she said, explaining her cart full of cereals, soft drinks, paper towels and cookie wafers. Like Wade, Rogers expected to save more than $100, adding money saved will help pay for a future vacation. Besides giving customers savings, the commissaries also offered other prizes such as $25 gift cards and grab bags.

At Fort Gillem, patrons were able to win basketball hoops, barbecue grills and throw blankets. "We put numbers on shopping cart handles and called numbers every 25 minutes," Edmonds said. "If you had the number and brought up your cart, you'd win a prize." Fort Gillem also had a basketball shooting game, where adults could win a watermelon by sinking a shot and children could win games, puzzles, coloring books or different sport balls. Attendees at both locations also had the chance to win even more prizes in a "money machine."

The machine, an enclosed wind tunnel booth, was filled with various paper coupons that had either a prize listing or "not a winner" written on them. Attendees who stepped into the booth had 15 seconds to grab as many coupons as possible. Even if one didn't win, everyone received a consolation prize, said Trista Hunter, a retail merchandiser Acosta Sales and Marketing, the company that provided the machine. "They get savings and we get advertising," Hunter said of Acosta's participation, describing the event as a win-win situation for customers and businesses. Edmond shared that sentiment, stating business over the two days would likely double if not triple normal daily revenue. But overall the day was not about moving merchandise, but the customer, both Edmonds and Pargo agreed.

"We (the commissary staff) thought about ways to honor patrons our patrons who have done business with us over a number of years," Edmonds said. "This is our way to show appreciation to them." And also to say good-bye, Pargo added. "We want them to know we will miss them and we've appreciated their patronage," she said. "We're sorry to have to leave them."