MAD III June 7, 2008

Since the very first MAD event, we have been searching for a location that is open to the public so that many more people can stop by and Thank Those Who Serve in person.

We are please to announce that on June 7, 2008, MAD III will be held on the Waterfront in Morehead City at 2 locations!

Thanks to our friends at The Big Rock and the Town of Morehead City, we will host our Heroes at the Jaycee Park and the City Park!

We also send out a special thanks to Captain Dave Tilley of FryingPanTower.com. Captain Dave provides hosting for our website and he also helped us procure dockage for this year's event. Thanks Captain Dave!

While this change of venue is significant from past MAD events, we

believe it gives all of us the best opportunity to Thank Those Who Serve!

Active Duty Military, National Guard, Reservists and their families will be treated to a day of fishing, site seeing, great entertainment, and many other activities including a lip smackin' southern style cookout.Enrollment for Active Duty Military, National Guard and Reservists will open on March 15, 2008 and close on May 25, 2008. Please click on the Enroll button to get signed up.

How Can You Help?

Each event requires a great deal of planning, many volunteers and donations of both money and goods . You can volunteer to help in many areas. We have the following committees: Site Committee (prep/setup/tear-down); Food and Beverage Committee; Entertainment Committee; and the Fundraising Committee. Click on the Volunteer button to sign up and lend a helping hand.You want to help but don’t have time to volunteer? No problem. You can help us by making a donation of money or goods via the Donate button. Your tax deductible donations will be used to help Thank Those Who Serve America!

Be sure to stop by the Military Appreciation Day, Inc. booth at the Morehead City Family Boating and In-Water Boat Show on May 16, 17, and 18, 2008. We will have literature available and will be accepting donations, cash or check. Come by and help Thank Those Who Serve America!

What is Military Appreciation Day?

Military Appreciation Day is an event organized by volunteers to provide a day of fishing for our Active Duty Military, Guard and Reservists. The event also includes activities for their families and a southern style cookout.

History of Military Appreciation Day

In February of 2006 a newspaper in Wilmington, NC published a story about restaurants that were refusing entry to a group of Marines who had just returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Rodney Carroll, Dan Smith and John Polosky were outraged and decided to do something about it!

Within a few weeks they raised almost $1000 and with the help of a donated van and a few marines they set forth on a mission to change this policy and pay tribute to those who have served America.

As they visited these restaurants and spent time with these young marines they were overwhelmed with the desire to show appreciation for our true American Heroes and thus the idea for Military Appreciation Day was born!

Within two short months, all of the planning for the event was completed and on May 20, 2006 men and women from all five branches of the Armed Services arrived for the First Annual Military Appreciation Day or MAD 1.

The 225 service men and women who ventured out in volunteer and chartered vessels were greeted by pouring rain and howling winds, but the spirit of the day was not diminished as volunteers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania were on hand for one reason...

One, Simple, THANKS!