There’s always a lot of emphasis on adopting healthy habits during the New Year. But you don’t need to wait until January 1 to start a new fitness routine or incorporate more fresh produce into your meal planning. You can pledge to make healthy lifestyle changes today.
Supporting the military community’s health and wellness goals is the focus of the Defense Commissary Agency’s military resale partnership event, Your Healthy Lifestyle Festival.
This annual event features discounted prices on produce at commissary farmers markets, savings on workout equipment and apparel at exchanges, health screenings at local clinics and fitness events hosted by the post morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) activities, according to a DeCA press release. Commissaries worldwide will be hosting healthy lifestyle festivals between July 1 and July 31.
“We heartily support DoD’s many initiatives to improve the health and wellness of service members and their families. Supporting this fest is a great way to continue that tradition,” said DeCA Sales Director Tracie Russ. “Together, the military resale community helps reinforce the installation as the No. 1 destination for partnership events.”
The healthy lifestyle festivals vary slightly from base to base. This event, which is a collaborative effort of commissaries, exchanges, MWR services and our industry partners, may include exchange sidewalk sales, MWR fitness events, demos, music, free nutritious food samples, prize giveaways, discount coupon offers, health and wellness information and children’s programs. Event details will be announced through the local military installation’s media, such as a base newspaper or a Facebook page.
The healthy lifestyle festivals will shine a spotlight on the commissaries’ worldwide farmers market program.
“Our patrons are in for a treat when it comes to the quality produce offered at our farmers markets,” Russ said. “Thanks to the creativity of our store personnel and industry partners who inject plenty of imagination and excitement into our farmers markets, combined with the exchange sales and the MWR fitness events, this festival will be a must-attend for our military customers.”
In the past, commissary shoppers have said that quality fresh produce is a priority for them. They want to buy locally grown produce at their commissaries. The healthy lifestyle festival is a way for commissary patrons to see what types of fresh produce are available at their commissaries that they may be overlooking.
Last year’s festival was the first of what has become an annual event combining the best of the military community’s efforts to help improve the health and wellness of service members and their families, according to the DeCA press release.
The majority of the healthy lifestyle festivals will be held on military installations this month. Commissary shoppers can find the participating military installations and dates on Your Healthy Lifestyle Festival page.
A few locations scheduled their event in June to avoid calendar conflicts, DeCA said in a press release.
Here is the list of bases that already had their healthy lifestyle festivals: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California; Chievres Air Base, Belgium; Dugway Proving Ground, Utah; Izmir Air Station, Turkey; Los Angeles Air Force Base; Naval Station Mayport, Florida; Naval Base Pearl Harbor Commissary, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Naval Shipyard Portsmouth, Maine; and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California.
