The aircraft carrier USS George Washington's (CVN 73) (GW) Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) division hosted a command picnic at Ocean Breeze Water Park in Virginia Beach, Aug. 18.

MWR rented out nearly half the park and sold more than 1,200 tickets, blowing past the goal of 1,000 tickets.

"The work the Sailors did to get to this point (the underways last year, SCOOP, and the current RCOH period) wasn't easy," said Derecka Collier, George Washington's fun boss. "We wanted to give back to the Sailors and the command for the hard work they did in bringing the ship to the yards and, well, what's more fun than a water park?"

The weather was perfect for a day at the water park and the water complimented the heat of the sun.

"I can't wait to ride the slides with the MWR team and Sailors," said Collier. "It was a lot of work putting this together, but it was worth it. My family isn't here with me today but the GW is another family and they're here."

Many Sailors also brought their families to the water park to enjoy the day.

"I brought my family today because they deserve it just as much as I do," said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class John Stone, from Aurora, Colorado. "It gives them a chance to be a part of everything I've been through so far. We are having a great time and we just went down a few of the slides. The kids went down a slide that had a drop to it and I thought they would be more afraid of it, but they did a good job going down."

The event stretched from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and included a buffet and a raffle for various prizes, such as a trip to Disneyland and a smart watch.

"I think it's awesome they're doing this picnic," said Stone. "It keeps people engaged and gets people to go out and do things they don't normally do. Maybe they don't like to go out or like to explore or whatever the case may be. With this, they get to actually do it and have fun. They get to do things with the chain of command in a more relaxed environment."

George Washington's MWR team has a few more events in mind, such as a command car show, a command talent show, a ski trip and a command party. For more information on upcoming MWR events, visit their office on the Floating Accommodation Facility.

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