Veteran’s Corner

Tom Krabbenhoft

Greetings everyone I hope you displayed your flag proudly during last Fridays Flag Day.
Sadly on Flag Day there was a burial for an unclaimed Veteran at the Fargo National Cemetery. The Fargo Memorial Honor Guard provided a Chaplain and military honors.
Speaking of honors, The Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce and the Redhawks go above and beyond honoring Veterans.
First, The Chamber has a military affairs committee which helps and stays in tune to the local military/Veteran community.
Second, they honor the military by holding a Redhawks night. Here are some facts of how this event came to be.
1. Q: When and how did this start.
A: Military Appreciation Night with the Fargo Moorhead Redhawks started in 2011 with the idea to show our appreciation for all our local military has done for this community. The Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee came up with this event as an opportunity for Chamber member businesses to get more involved in military support activities.
2. Q: How big has this become since inception until today.
A: In 2011, the inaugural event was hosted at the FargoDome for a North Dakota State University Football game, but since then, The Chamber has hosted this as an event with the FM Redhawks. At the inaugural event, 500 military members and their families were treated to a night of patriotism and fun, but today, The Chamber is proud to share that we are treating over 2,000 military members and their families. Over the years, we have had special entertainment such as performances from Lee Greenwood, skydivers, fireworks, multiple service branch enlistments, and appearances by the Anheuser-Busch Budweiser Clydesdales.
The BIGGEST news yet is that, thanks to our sponsors, The Chamber was able to sell out Newman Outdoor Field this year, which is a goal we have been set on achieving. This year, we will be providing over 2,000 tickets to military members and their families – the most we’ve ever been able to give.
3. Q: What are future plans to keep event bigger/better etc.
A: The Chamber’s events team is always trying to find ways to make the events better than before. As intentionality is a value of The Chamber, we put a great deal of thought into every detail, big and small. We recognize how special this night is for military personnel and their families, so we do our best to stay relevant with event trends and make it a wonderful experience for all ages.
4. Feel free to interject anything else the military affairs committee does.
The Military Affairs Committee serves a vital role in engaging our business community in awareness and advocacy for our military. If you or your business would like to get involved in the Military Affairs Committee http://fmwfchamber.com/military
A big thanks to the Chamber for looking out for business, veterans and the community.
I’d encourage any business owner to look into what the Chamber does.