Like Our Soldiers, Boerne Answered the Call
It was an honor to partner with the City of Boerne and the VFW to coordinate the Picnic in the Park (view Picnic photos) event Sunday evening, June 29, when Boerne hosted members of the 338th MI Battalion, out of Camp Bullis, who will soon be deploying to Iraq. In fact, 27 of these men and women were shipped out the day before for deployment training and missed the picnic.
I was so proud of the way businesses and residents responded to our call for volunteers and contributions that made the picnic as successful as it was. Business owners and citizens went out of their way to find out how they could be of the most help to us offering their time, their skills and their financial assistance. Any outdoor event in the summer carries with it special challenges and Boerne really came through.
The soldiers were so grateful for the good wishes of our community and their enthusiasm was evident as they chatted with caring and concerned citizens and business owners over the terrific sausages, hot dogs and kielbasa supper prepared in their honor. They loved the great bags customized by Flying Circle Bags and proudly sported their Boerne Chamber caps as they moved through the crowds.
Kerry Phillip, Events Director on my staff, told me that this was the single most rewarding event she’d been involved with in Boerne, and my heart was right with hers. My own son recently returned from Iraq and he has shared with me many times how dear family and community support has been to him. I know the members of the 338th will carry a little bit of Boerne with them when they deploy and the hearts of Boerne will be praying for them, their successful mission, and their safe return to America.
Thank you, Boerne, for being there when we asked for help in honoring the proud men and women of the 338th MI battalion and their service to this great country. I knew we could count on you!
Paula White
CEO/President, Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce
We would like to Thank and Acknowledge All the Generous Companies and Individuals who Donated and Volunteered their Valuable Time to help make this Event Happen:
Donators:
Bear Moon Bakery
Blue Water Signs & Banners
Boerne Printing
Boerne Wal-Mart Super Center
City of Boerne
The Boerne Star
B Martinez & Sons Co., Inc.
Culligan Water Conditioning
Dodging Duck Brewhaus
Ron Warden / Edward Jones Investments
El Chaparral Mexican Restaurant
El Rio Mexican Restaurant
Flowers Foods
Flying Circle Bags
H.E.B. Boerne
Hungry Horse Restaurant
Scott Wilson / Jennings Anderson Ford
Ken Nietenhoefer / KCN Homes
Kendall County Fair Association
Kiolbassa Provision Company
Marlin Atlantis White
Mission Pharmacal Co.
My Hill Country Kitchen & Supplier
Opa’s Smoked Meats
Pure Party Ice
Sturchio Entertainment
Sysco Foods
Dillon Snell
Dennis Spinelli/Spinelli’s Vistro
Texas Heritage Bank
Pat & Don Tolley
VFW Post 688
Jeannemarie Wilson
Contributors:
Boerne Boy Scout Troop 102 - Color Guard
Constance Keremes / Boerne Public Library - Story Time
Cedar Fever Band - Music
Mayor Dan Heckler / City of Boerne - Introduction
Mike Harkrider / First Baptist Church - Invocation
Ken Nietenhoefer / KCN Builders - Master of Ceremonies
Robin Lees - National Anthem
Cooks:
Clay Rushing, Rick Swinghamer & John Woolard / Boerne Rotary
Lance Lira / Coldwell Banker Swope, Realtors
Frank Ramirez / Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club
Dutch Short / Gutters Plus
Darren & L. C. Smith / Local Fireman
Bill Bird / Mercedes Benz of Boerne
Chad Upham / Nunley, Jolley, Cluck & Aelvoet, LLC
Jess Hawkins / Tapatio Springs Resort & Conference Center
Volunteers:
Boerne Berges Fest & Kendall County Fair Courts, Alexis & Jack Short of the Boerne Rotary, Carol Schultz of Bradfield Properties, Ed Whiteof Bradfield Properties, Rita Cornelius, Kerry Phillip, Bonnie Westley and Paula White of the Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce, Lynn Heckler, Beca Short of Jefferson Bank, Scott Wilson of Jennings Anderson Ford, Sarah Forsman of Keller Williams Realty, Shad Schmidt of Marlin Atlantis White, David Phillip of Phillip, Renfroe & Rickert and Krysta McDaniel of St. Helena’s Episcopal Church and the VFW Post 688.
2008 Leadership Boerne Class Volunteers:
Constance Keremes of the Boerne Public Library, Lynn Richter of the Greater Boerne Chamber of Commerce, Kevin Manner of The Mesa Companies, Daniel Perez of SHW Group, Dave Claflin (and family) of Ten Oaks Storage and Mike Schultz of The Trust Company.
Individual Volunteers:
Kim & Steve Basil, Shelly & Scott Coy, Linda, Theresa and Macala Garza, Katy & Ryan Luecke, Carol Nietenhoefer and Charlie Sullivan.
And any Volunteers we might have forgotten to mention!