The NAS Whidbey Island Liberty program and commissary partnered for the second year in a row to produce fun, in-store activities during the month of May.

The goal of Commissary Awareness Month is to increase young Sailors and Marines’ knowledge of the services their commissary provides. Last year’s program proved tough to follow, as it topped its category and took home $750 to support the Liberty program.

This year, Liberty program assistant, Stephanie Oppor, provided a splash of swashbuckler creativity.

The first step was creating a display—a pirate’s chest chock-full of commissary booty—containing everything from cereal to snack foods to dinner kits, from toiletries to sundries to dog food. All the products displayed in the chest are available at great savings from the commissary.

The day’s first event was a treasure hunt, in which participants found buried puzzle pieces, then put the shapes together to form commissary slogans.

The day’s second event was a store tour filled with trivia questions. Commissary rookies and pros alike learned fun facts about the store: “I didn’t know that everything—the milk, the meat—is produced in the state of Washington,” said Ship’s Serviceman 1st Class Phil Miller.

Next, Sailors participated in their unanimously favorite activity, a supermarket sweep-style scavenger hunt. Organizers clued the hunters in to past advertising slogans, asking them to return with the product that matched the catchphrase.

The sweep had pairs, one driving, and one inside a grocery cart, chasing products up and down store aisles in a 15-minute hunt to find the most merchandise.

The day’s events culminated in a barbecue that featured a watermelon-eating contest for dessert. All the Sailors and Marines involved walked away with full stomachs and prizes, including a barbecue grill, vintage Pepsi cooler and soccer sets.

The knowledge of the commissary’s services and easy ways to access them, though, was the key takeaway: “I learned about the free bus to the Seaplane Base for people living in the barracks,” said Personnel Specialist Seaman Monica Perez, referring to the payday Saturday shopping shuttle run by the Liberty program.

“We’re happy to be able to provide this kind of an event,” said Craig Cleaveland, commissary administrator. “It’s a chance for the troops to be made aware of the benefits available to them.”