Commissary to hold Family Fun Fitness Festival

  • Published
  • By Sallie Cauthers
  • DeCA marketing and mass media specialist
FORT LEE, Va. --  Commissaries, exchanges and other quality-of-life activities are joining forces with Family Fun Fitness Festivals to make U.S. military installations worldwide the prime place to shop.

For the fourth straight year, the Defense Commissary Agency, along with exchanges, morale welfare and recreation activities and Air Forces Services will partner in these festivals sometime between late April through June, offering the best of military resale in DoD's largest consumer awareness event. Hanscom's commissary will hold their festival May 17 through 19.

"This is our fourth year running with these events," said Joyce Chandler, DeCA's acting sales director. "Now more than ever, our customers are looking to save during these tough economic times, and these festivals highlight the fact that military communities offer one-stop convenience for shopping, recreation and entertainment."

Every year, the festivals include special commissary sales events; exchange sidewalk sales; various morale, welfare and recreation fitness activities; and product and service demonstrations, complete with industry-sponsored nutritious food samples, prize giveaways and discount coupon offers.

MWR programs and Air Force Services take advantage of May being National Physical Fitness Month to promote health and wellness awareness programs. Fitness events for children and adults include martial arts demonstrations, sporting events, 5K walks/runs, mini-marathons, aerobic and fitness classes and health screenings.

New this year is the Exchange New Car Sales program, which will position cars and motorcycles adjacent to the commissaries overseas and give away commissary gift cards throughout this special event.

"The Family Fun Fitness Festival represents the largest consumer awareness partnership ever between commissaries, exchanges and MWR," Chandler said. "Every year, the festival continues to be an outstanding success. Last year, local community commanders were thrilled over the excellent partnership exhibited between their MWR or Air Force Services Division activities and the local exchange and commissary."

A full list of participating commissaries is listed on DeCA's website at www.commissaries.com/family_fun_fitness_festival.cfm.