Fort Sill thanks community sponsors

By Fort Sill Tribune staffFebruary 13, 2020

SponsorUSAA
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – USAA was recognized as the top sponsor for Fiscal Year 2019. Karl Morgan (center), USAA Military Affairs representative, holds the certificate of appreciation with Col. Don King Jr., Fort Sill Garrison commander, Feb. 6, 2020, at the Patriot Club. Al... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
SponsorHGI
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
SponsorFood
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
SponsorCertificate
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
SponsorTwist
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT SILL, Oklahoma (Feb. 13, 2020) -- Every year, USAA comes to several recreational and social events on Fort Sill, such as 5K runs to provide information about its services.

They sponsor events, and buy advertising through Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR).

USAA was recognized as the installation's top sponsor for 2019, during a sponsor appreciation ceremony Feb. 6, at the Patriot Club.

"It's the right thing to do," said Karl Morgan, USAA Military Affairs representative. "We are giving back to service members and their families."

About 65 sponsors were honored with certificates of appreciation handed out by post leaders, with brigade command teams looking on.

In his invocation, Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Charles Paul, deputy installation chaplain, said: "May their (sponsors) spirit of volunteerism and their gift of caring for our community be a beacon and an example that will rally us to a greater service within us, this installation, and our community."

Beverly Burgess, MWR Commercial Sponsorship and Advertising director, said sponsorship affects all the MWR programs.

"I feel that the sponsors are making a huge impact on our Soldiers and families," Burgess said. "The sponsors and the funds they provide really improve the quality of life for the whole community."

MWR Director Darryle Jones thanked the sponsors.

"I look forward to building a lasting relationship in which MWR can be a resource, not only for the Lawton-Fort Sill community, but also for Southwest Oklahoma," Jones said.

Speaker Col. Don King Jr., garrison commander, said sponsorship goes a long way in making Fort Sill the place where Soldiers and families want to come and live, and to stay.

"You guys help that phenomenally by what you do, and the contributions that you make," King said. That's over $241,000 in sponsorship and in-kind donations.

5-Star Nutrition sponsored numerous athletic events during the year, including the Devil Dog Run, said Lindsey Logan, 5 Star assistant manager.

"We really like supporting the military because it's such a huge part of our community," she said. "If we can help any Soldiers, trainees, anyone who works on Fort Sill, we are going to."

Sarah Gersper, MWR's Child and Youth Services coordinator, said sponsors help out with its Month of the Military Child celebration each April.

"We use that money to buy T-shirts for all the children and staff," she said. "We wear them every Friday during April. Without sponsorship we wouldn't be able to do that."