MADISON – The city of Madison and Madison Chamber of Commerce honored military families at “Celebrate Madison” Thursday evening. The free community event was hosted by the Chamber at Toyota Field. It featured a variety of family activities, food, fun and fireworks. The highlight of the night was Mayor Paul Finley’s State of the City address where he recognized two local military families.

“The Madison community is built upon the regional military influence in our area. We thank our veterans, active duty service men and women, and the Gold Star families for their sacrifice. We also thank Signalink for their sponsorship of the Celebrate Madison event, making this recognition possible. It is an honor for these military families, who have lived in many cities across the world, to call Madison ‘home’,” says Mayor Paul Finley.

Active Duty Family of the Year:
The Active Duty Family of the Year was presented to COL Stacey Harring and her family. COL Stacey Harring has contributed countless volunteer hours to the children and veterans since moving to Madison 6 years ago. COL Harring serves in leadership positions with Madison American Legion Post 229 and volunteers with her local Girl Scout troop. She is currently a mobilized Reservist serving on Active Duty at Army Materiel Command on Red Stone Arsenal. Continuing to instill patriotism in our youth remains a passion of COL Harring as she serves and volunteers in the Madison community.

Veteran Family of the Year:
The Veteran Family of the Year recognized Retired Navy Commander Bob Tamas who served for over 20 years as a Navy F-14 Radar Intercept Officer. Bob currently serves as the Treasurer for the Society of St Vincent DePaul at St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Madison, visiting neighbors in the local communities to provide financial, moral and other support to those in need. His wife Donna volunteers as a Court Appointed Juvenile Advocate of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Bob and Donna’s son, Ryan currently works as a contractor for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Their youngest son, LTJG Jack Tamas, USN graduated from the Naval Academy and is currently attending the Navy Nuclear Power School in Charleston, South Carolina.

Look for the August 23 issue of The Madison Record for more coverage on the Celebrate Madison event and Mayor Finley’s State of the City Address.

Below are some fun photos of the event from Andrew Niles (Noles Nest Photography).