More than 50 vendors from area cities and counties, chambers of commerce, schools, nonprofit organizations, parks and attractions joined big name resorts, hotels and casinos from across the region Wednesday for the March 2011 Community Showcase & Travel Show at Fort Stewart’s Club Stewart.

Exhibitors offered recently redeployed troops and their families discounts to entice them to spend their vacations in the mountains or at the beach. Local governments educated military residents about their communities and informed them of coming events.
Army spouse Monique Myers and her daughter, Riley, 5, browsed each table, receiving goodies and information to help them plan a family vacation.

“My husband is (separating) from the military in about a month,” Myers said. “We’re moving to Indiana and want to get in as much as we can at the last minute … events and festivals before we make the move.”

Myers said hotel information will also help them out on their 16-hour drive to the Midwest, especially traveling with children and pets.

The city of Pembroke and its Downtown Development Authority manned a display table at the showcase for the first time in several years. District 4 Pembroke City Councilwoman Tiffany Walraven said she, Better Hometown Executive Director Marilyn Page and DDA representatives Jean Bacon and Hannah Deloach were running out of brochures halfway into the event.

For more, pick up a copy of the March 12 edition of the News.