Clarksville, TN – As home to the 101st Airborne Division, 5th Special Forces Group, and 160th SOAR, many of Clarksville’s residents are familiar with the Month of Military Child. Celebrated in April, the month is dedicated to honoring #MightyMilitaryKids for their unique challenges in the name of our nation’s freedom.
This year, in an effort to thank these little heroes in a big way, The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone is throwing them a Carnival.
“Our community is extremely supportive of our military families,” Meghan Williams, Outreach Director at the clinic, said. “I see it every day as I am out sharing resources with fellow veteran-serving organizations. Which is what gave me the idea that together, we can put on an event to remember.”
The Cohen Clinic at Centerstone, established in 2018, provides high-quality accessible mental health services to post-9/11 veterans, service members and military family members, including children. For the event, Williams and her teammates at the Cohen Clinic at Centerstone began reaching out to those fellow community groups back in February and received a tremendous response.
“I have been so touched by our community partners’ willingness to join us in this effort. When I first posed the idea of a Month of the Military Child Carnival, many jumped at the opportunity, asking where they could sign up and what they could bring to the party,” Williams noted.
That included Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden.
“I had just received word that we had secured a sponsorship to rent a dunking booth for the event,” Williams added, smiling. “I happened to see Mayor Golden across the street and immediately asked if he’d be willing to take a turn in the booth for our military families. He graciously agreed, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Brigadier General (ret.) Scott Brower, former Special Forces Officer for most of his 29 year Army career former and Acting Senior Commander of the 101st Airborne Division, is also slated to take a shift in the wet seat.
“General Brower is a huge supporter of the clinic. He is constantly advocating for us. We are so grateful for his commitment to our mission. His agreeing to take a turn in the dunking booth, too, will certainly be fun for many who know him and served with him.”
The line-up for the carnival doesn’t end there. Along with various community resource vendors who will each provide a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) carnival game with prizes, APSU basketball players will be on hand to shoot hoops with carnival goers. Organizers have also secured sponsorships for a bouncy house, ice cream truck, and magic show with two half-hour showings for families to choose from throughout the day. The Flip’ N Axe also plans to bring out its portable axe-throwing game. Hot dogs and snacks will also be on-site courtesy of the Marine Corps League.
“We can’t wait for this event,” Clinic Director, Julie Adams added. “The community is showing up in a heartwarming way for this and we have so many people to thank. In the end, it’s all for our military kids. We hope to give them a day to remember.”
The Month of the Military Child Cohen Clinic Carnival is set for Saturday, April 22nd, from 11:00am – 2:00pm in the clinic parking lot located at 775 Weatherly Drive in Clarksville.
For more information, please contact the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone, 931.221.3850.
