The city of Oak Harbor hosted a picnic to show their appreciation for the service men and woman in their community, Sept. 6.

The 6th annual event was put on by the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, the City of Oak Harbor, and the Oak Harbor Navy League with support from other local businesses.

The coordinator for the event every year has been Beth Munns, of the Oak Harbor City Council. She said she does it because of the bond shared between the military community of Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island and civilian community that she’s seen from both sides.

“When we (my family) were here as military, people knew we were connected to the military, and they’d ask if we needed help with anything. That’s what started it, having a community that was willing to help a stranger like that,” said Munns. “This is a neat culture in this town, and I don’t want to see that lost. Because of how nice people were to me, I’m just returning the favor.”

The event featured 960 hot dogs, 350 pounds of pulled pork, 180 pounds of coleslaw, nine cases of chips, nearly 10 gallons of barbecue sauce, 16 cakes, and over 1,000 cookies kept the attendees’ stomachs full. Officially, 1,060 people were fed, but the unofficial number was closer to 1,500. A hot dog eating contest was also a featured attraction and music was provided by the Bruce Guy Project.

Guest speakers for the event were Capt. Gerral David, NAS Whidbey Island commanding officer, Dick Devlin, Oak Harbor Navy League president, and Jim Slowik, Oak Harbor Mayor.

“You know, it’s hard to separate the traditions of the military and from the traditions of Oak Harbor; it’s just immersed in our soul, it’s what we do, so it’s hard for me to tell you who’s happier today,” said Slowik. “We feel like we have a servant’s heart because we love the military here in Oak Harbor.”

Rear Adm. James Symonds, Commander, Navy Region Northwest, sees just being stationed in Oak Harbor as a morale booster for Sailors and their families and the community support as beneficial to NAS Whidbey Island’s mission.

“It’s critical that the surrounding area of any military base supports the reason for the base to be there,” said Symonds. “The support that Oak Harbor gives to NAS Whidbey Island is legend throughout the Navy. It’s so important, and that’s why we wouldn’t have missed it. It’s a good-feeling thing and it’s just great to see the partnership.”