JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville is home to Florida’s largest population of military families. And Thursday, the city hosted a memorable evening dedicated to the spouses of retired and active military members.
Military Spouses Night Out returned to VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
It was an evening of pampering for those who’ve held down the fort at home, while their loved ones serve our country.
There was massage therapy, art classes, top restaurant fare and thousands of dresses, pants and shorts, gifted by Amazon.
“We’ve been all over the world and all over the country, and so it’s really cool to be in a place like this,” Paij Collins said.
For the 14 years Collins has been a military spouse, she’s never seen a venue full of freebies, like she did Thursday night.
“It’s a challenge, but knowing that it’s for the greater good we always try to stay positive,” Collins said.
The City of Jacksonville Military Affairs and Veterans Department with Mayor Donna Deegan hosted the event.
“150,000 veterans in Jacksonville. It’s the No. 1 requested duty station in the Navy. So not only do we have a huge military presence here, but people want to stay here when they retire,” said Harrison Conyers, Director of the Jacksonville Military Affairs and Veterans Department.
It’s why the event doesn’t just celebrate Jacksonville’s active duty military spouses, but also those like Stephanie Farmer, whose husband is newly retired.
“This is absolutely amazing. Never been to an event like this. It’s definitely appreciated and I hope other cities can do the same thing for their military,” Farmer said.
The celebration is one of a kind, but the city is eager to see it duplicated across the country.
“We’ve had several spouses walk out of here in tears, carrying their dresses, saying no other duty station has ever supported us this way. But we’re glad to share our secret sauce with other military communities as they take care of our nation’s heroes,” Conyers said.
The event was open to all U.S. and allied military spouses of active-duty, reserve, guard, and retired service members with valid Military ID.