PFC Shannan Neese on crutches  and her husband, Thomas and daughter Lorelei spent a  relaxing fun-filled weekend in Austin at the Best Western Plus hotel hosted by Operation Vacation. Operation Vacation is a program sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen in partnership with Austin Hotel Lodging Association, County Line Restaurants, Toyota Killeen, Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, SuperShuttle & Around Austin, Inc. to thank one  military family from Ft. Hood who have had duty overseas and risk their lives each day to keep us safe by providing them with a weekend in Austin once a month.  Mary Reynolds, chair of Operation Vacation Austin says “it is such a delight to see the faces of these families when they arrive in Austin because they are shocked that someone wants to thank them for the doing their job. This is our way of saying that we appreciate the sacrifices they and their families have made while serving our country and keeping us safe.” Some of the highlights of their trip are the activities planned for each family including a day at Austin Parks, a fabulous BBQ dinner hosted by County Line with great food and gifts and the precious quality time with their families in a beautiful and safe hotel room-all expenses paid!

Rotary International  awards their premier award, Service Above Self, to 150 Rotarians worldwide.  Last weekend, Ronney Reynolds was surprised with this very special  recognition.    Ronney, a fifth generation Austinite, has given back to his community by serving on the Austin City Council, by being a major donor to YMBL’s Austin Sunshine Camps, and by mentoring his staff, clients, and clients’  staff, for over 40 years.  He continues to serve on numerous civic and professional councils.  Ronney  has served Rotary in leadership roles as Club director, Club President, District Governor, District Treasurer,  Zone Treasurer, trainer, and instructor.

Take advantage of 1/2 price ticket prices ($7 each) by using this order form (can also be found in the downloads folder). Please fill out the form and return it to the Express by no later than Thursday, June 13, 2013. To insure that your members get to sit together it is recommended that one order form be submitted, although individual orders will be accepted. If you have any questions feel free to call Gary Franke at (512) 238-2219.