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Saluting the troops, mingling in the park

AUSA's Puyallup-Sumner Subchapter connects military and civilian communities at annual fundraiser

Kids and young adults raced inside Zorb Track balls during AUSA Puyallup-Sumner Subchapter’s Salute to the Troops event in downtown Puyallup Aug. 10. Photo credit: Christina Butcher

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Most city parks cannot hold a thousand people, let alone leave them with enough room to enjoy the experience. Yet somehow, the Puyallup-Sumner Subchapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) managed not only to draw in approximately 1,000 people to its 7th annual Salute to the Troops event last week, but it also kept the crowd smiling, laughing and well-fed the entire time.

Held at Pioneer Park Pavilion Aug. 10, Salute to the Troops served as the Puyallup-Sumner Subchapter's formal "thank you" to servicemembers.   

"This is an opportunity for the communities of Puyallup and Sumner to show their appreciation to the units that directly interact with them," said Michael Fleetwood, president of the Puyallup-Sumner Subchapter of the Captain Meriwether Lewis Chapter of AUSA. "The 13th Combat Sustainment Battalion, which is partnered with Sumner; the 504th Military Police Battalion, which is partnered with Puyallup; and the Washington Army National Guard's Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment, are the units that directly support our communities ... This event is a chance for our communities to come together and say, ‘thanks for everything you do for us, for protecting us day in and day out.'"

This year's Salute to the Troops also served the AUSA subchapter's ongoing mission of building connections between military and non-military communities. Parents at the event, military and civilian alike, sat alongside each other and watched their children race in giant, see-through "Zorb Track" balls and climb inside Army firefighting trucks at the edge of the park. Meanwhile, others enjoyed music, free food and drinks, competitive games and prize drawings.

"It's always nice for us to get out and see everybody, especially for an event like Salute to the Troops," said Army Sgt. Barry Burt of the 63rd Ordinance Company, 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (CSSB).

Burt's fire truck was surrounded by eager children asking to climb aboard for most of the event.

"We let the kids climb on the trucks and talk to the public about what we do," he continued. "We try to come out any time there's an event."

In addition to the festivities, Sumner mayor Dave Enslow, Washington congressman Dennis Heck and Puyallup mayor John Hopkins all gave speeches shortly after Salute to the Troops kicked off. Puyallup and Sumner city council members were also in attendance, and they joined the mayors and congressman in mingling with the crowd after expressing their continued support.

Salute to the Troops is the Puyallup-Sumner Subchapter's only fundraiser for the year. As such, the event has a large impact on how the organization will be able to carry out its mission during the upcoming year. Proceeds go directly toward providing welcome packages to servicemembers returning from deployment and supporting military unit events for the units partnered with the subchapter.

"Every single dollar we make goes right back to those units," Fleetwood said.

Throughout the afternoon, 30 Puyallup-Sumner Subchapter volunteers staffed the event, while 28 organizations manned information booths and eight more provided day-of donations.

"The volunteers in our subchapter are absolutely amazing, and they're so connected to our community," concluded Fleetwood, who has been volunteering with AUSA in various capacities since 1987 and was appointed president of the Puyallup-Sumner Subchapter shortly after retiring from the Army in June 2017. "They're the only reason we're able to pull this off."

For more information about AUSA in the JBLM area, visit ausatacoma.com.

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