Military Appreciation Day Hosted by Mazda and Dancing with the Stars' Karina Smirnoff

Mazda joins the growing number of organizations celebrating military contributions by sponsoring Military Appreciation Day at the annual Washington DC International Auto Show Tuesday Feb 5th 2013. Dancing with the Stars' Karina Smirnoff hosted the event, signing autographs at the Mazda Booth at the annual auto show which featured the Military Appreciation Day event.

With National Military appreciation month just three months away in May, Mazda is just the latest company on board with a public celebration and recognition for those providing military service.  While at the show, Mazda also celebrated winning the 2013 Green Car Technology Award, beating out nine other finalists to win with the new Mazda Skyactiv system. 

The Green Car Technology Award highlights technologies that help reduce fuel use and greenhouse-gas emissions.  Skyactiv saves fuel  by “ lightweighting,”  better chassis and overall better internal combustion engines.  The technology will be available later this year with the Skyactiv-D 2.2-liter clean-diesel engine when the Mazda6 sedan is unveiled.  More info is available locally by visiting the Sport Durst Mazda dealership in nearby Durham.   

Morehead City Military Appreciation Day Returns June 1st 2013

Locally, the countdown is on to the second annual MAD 8 Morehead City military appreciation day scheduled for Saturday, June 1, 2013 providing the community in Southeastern North Carolina an opportunity to show their support for those who wear the uniform of our nation.

The 2012 MAD weekend featured some two hundred volunteers who helped provide grilled pork chops, sweet potatoes and green beans provided by Murphy Brown Farms.   The appreciation festivities included sight-seeing boat rides, a children’s fishing derby and carnival like games including a dunking booth, bouncy house and face painting stations.

Portside Marina donated the use of a large ferry for family boat tours and families were also shuttled over to Duke Marine Labs where they went on a tour of Carrot Island courtesy of Paula Gillikin of the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve. The wild ponies that reside in the area were a big attraction for the military families.  Volunteers prepared five whole hogs, over 1000 pounds of chicken, sides and desserts, as well as the fish caught which was prepared by eight cooking crews known as the “Hobo Junction Gang.” The next Military Appreciation Day for active duty military, guard and reservists with a day of fishing,  activities for families and a southern style cookout is set for Saturday, June 1, 2013.