ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- The depot will celebrate its diamond anniversary Sept. 1 with an event open to all employees on the installation as well as select community members and Morale, Welfare and Recreation patrons.
"We want to get the depot together to celebrate our foundation as well as to show appreciation for the work employees do and how well they do it," said Wallace Grant, director of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation for ANAD.
No matter what employees enjoy - from athletic events to card games or watching entertainers perform - there is something for everyone during the 75th Anniversary Celebration.
The event will begin that day at 9:30 a.m. as the Army Materiel Command's band sets the stage with their music before the opening ceremony at 10.
From 11 a.m.-2 p.m. participants are encouraged to enjoy on-going games, such as a dunking booth, rock wall, tug of war, cake walk, horseshoes, rubber puck, corn hole, laser tag, Texas hold 'em, spades, bid whist, bingo, poker and dominos.
Line Dancing, the motorcycle and car shows, health screenings, vendor displays, a shooting range courtesy of the Civilian Marksmanship Program and displays from the JSU Science Truck and the Center for Domestic Preparedness will also be available during this time.
Additionally, other activities will take place at specified times and locations.
The Physical Fitness Center will hold table tennis, power lifting and basketball/free throw tournaments.
At Capron Field, employees can participate in or watch the homerun derby.
An animal show courtesy of the Anniston Museum of Natural History will entertain children of all ages.
Near the main stage there will be a hot dog eating contest.
A poker run and a chance to watch a tank run over a car during David and Goliath still barely tap the events for the day.
Performances at the main stage include children from Coldwater Elementary, the depot's adopt-a-school; Heart Notes, a singing group from Parker Memorial Baptist Church; and Chris Jamison, a singer/songwriter who took third place in the seventh season of The Voice.
For those who enjoy cooking, there is a barbecue cook-off, complete with awards.
And, if employees choose to bring their spouse or child to the event, they may choose to take a windshield tour of the installation. Tours are scheduled at two different times that day.
Not all of us cook, but many employees do have amazing talents. If you sing, play an instrument or have another talent you'd like to showcase, the talent show may be for you.
And, last, but certainly not least, the day caps off with door prizes given away to employees at the main stage. Don't forget to get your ticket the day of the event and stick around until the very end of the day to be eligible to win.
"Marketing for DFMWR has been particularly hard at work organizing the event, gathering sponsors and prizes and coordinating the entertainment," said Grant.
Funding for the event comes from the sponsors with assistance in funding the entertainment by MWR and Installation Management Command.
But, no matter how many sponsors and prizes the event has, it would not be a success without a small army of volunteers.
Each game is manned by employees who are giving of their own time to ensure their coworkers enjoy the day. Setup and teardown are also done by volunteers and additional crews of employees will ensure the popcorn stand and other things run smoothly.
"Without the volunteers, we couldn't do this," said Grant. "We need the volunteers to accomplish the event and make it something to be proud of for our employees and the depot's future generations."
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