Team MDL paints the town with Red, White, Blues Picnic

Published Aug. 10, 2015
By Ally Lardner
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Approximately 4,000 people attended the base's annual Red, White and Blues Picnic at John Mann Park here Aug. 5.

The picnic is an annual event for joint base members and their families, offering live music, a barbecue lunch, and a multitude of attractions for attendees.

"The goal of the event is to provide a quality of life program for the JB MDL personnel," said Mary Ann Fleck, 87th FSS Tommy B's Community Activities Center recreation assistant. "It's for morale and entertaining the people here on base."

There was plenty of amusement for attendees of all ages.

"We've included static military displays, the car show, and a live band. Kids enjoy the petting zoo and bounce houses," Fleck said. "In addition, all activities at the park are free for the day."

The myriad events keep guests coming back for more. Ghyslaime Gustave-Wilborn, 87th Air Base Wing Safety technician, has attended the event for the past nine years.

"I brought my god-kids," she said. "They enjoyed the bounce house and the bungee jumper."

"There were a ton of family events," agreed Capt. Elizabeth Wagner, 87th Mission Support Group executive officer, who enjoyed her first experience of the base-wide picnic. "The options were great. There were a lot of activities for kids and for adults."

Though the picnic was a fun-filled day for families, Fleck hoped representatives from outreach programs at the event would also be able to share information about programs available to members of the JB MDL community.

"I think people are more aware of what's out there to help them," she said of the picnic's impact on the base community.

Fleck has helped organize the event for five years and they expected more than 5,000 attendees for this year's event.

To "keep it fresh," the 87th FSS changes the name of the picnic annually.

"Every year attendance goes up because we add more than the prior year. We change things around so that it's not the same old picnic," Fleck explained.

A new aspect of this year's event was a live concert by the Billy Walton Band. The performance was the final show in the Summer Concert Series.

"We renamed the picnic the Red, White, and Blues Picnic because the Billy Walton Band is a contemporary blues act," explained Monty Dunn, 87th FSS Marketing, Publicity, and Commercial Sponsorship director.

The base-wide picnic has been an annual event for many years, but became bigger after the 87th FSS collaborated with the Family Readiness program two years ago to combine their two different events.

The 87th FSS picnic was a fun-filled day for the joint base community, including Gustave-Wilborn and her family.

"We're going to keep coming," she said, "It's something in the summer the kids look forward to."

The live music, free food and numerous attractions all contributed to the happy atmosphere, she said.

"It was a great, free event. You can't beat it, really," Wagner concluded, "It was well-planned, there was great weather and I had a great time. I hope they continue with the Summer Concert Series next summer as well."