AMES. Iowa--A Military Family Fun and Safety Day will take place at McHose Park in Boone Saturday, June 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. under sponsorship by several Boone organizations, agencies and Iowa State University (ISU) Extension.

Military families can participate in a full day of recreation at the park as well as gather health and safety information and obtain photo and fingerprinting IDs. A 4 p.m. ride aboard the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad also will be offered at reduced cost. In addition, both the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Birthplace and the Boone County Historical Center will be open for visitors.

The Boone County Pork Producers will grill pork burgers with additional food for military families provided by veterans groups and other organizations and businesses.

Operation Military Kids (OMK), working through ISU Extension 4-H Youth Development, will provide information detailing how parents, schools and community organizations can support children of deployed soldiers. OMK will photograph and produce pocket-sized photos for kids to mail to deployed family members. Boone County 4-H members will help kids make balloon animals as well as provide face painting and 4-H tattoos. Barb Wollan, ISU Extension resource management specialist, will provide financial management information for parents and activities for kids.

Chris Gleason, ISU Extension OMK project coordinator, said, “The Boone community recognizes the importance of supporting military kids and families throughout the duration of the deployment cycle – not just at send-offs and welcome home activities. Military families make tremendous sacrifices so their soldiers can serve our country to fight the Global War on Terror. We are great at putting magnetic yellow ribbons on our vehicles but we can do so much more to support these families. I hope communities across Iowa learn from Boone’s example and build community-based support for their local military families.”

For more information about the June 24 activities or how organizations can become involved in the event, contact Sharon Witcraft at (515) 432-2228.

Monetary donations (tax deductible) to help defray costs for the event can be made to the Iowa 4-H Foundation/ Operation: Military Kids, c/o Boone County Extension, 603 Story Street, Boone, Iowa  50036 (checks payable to Iowa 4-H Foundation).

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