St. Louis Navy Week is set to launch May 9, beginning a weeklong series of events to introduce local community members to their Navy and enable them to meet and interact with Sailors.

The Navy Week program is designed to raise awareness about the Navy in areas that traditionally do not have a naval presence and includes events such as community relations projects, speaking engagements and media interviews with flag hosts and local Sailors.

"My team is super excited as we get ready to execute St. Louis Navy Week," said Gary Ross, lead planner for St. Louis Navy Week. "A lot of hard work and logistics goes into the planning phase. Now we get to have fun with the great people of St. Louis, telling our Navy's story."

The Navy Week is scheduled to kick off with the Navy Parachute Team, the Leap Frogs, performing a demonstration jump at Oakville High School the morning of May 9.

"I'm proud to serve our county and it's an honor to have the opportunity to represent the Navy," said Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Brandon Peterson, Leap Frogs parachutist. "I hope to inspire others to join our military, and to continue supporting the men and women who serve. It's the support of each American that makes our military great."

Rear Adm. Larry Jackson, director, Strategy Capabilities, Policy and Logistics U.S. Transportation Command, along with Sailors from USS Jefferson City (SSN 759) will receive a proclamation of St. Louis Navy Week from Mayor Francis Slay. Jackson is also scheduled to meet with various local officials and businesses, and be the featured speaker of the 2016 Welcome Home and Warrior Summit.

This event will be one of the largest in St. Louis celebrating and assisting veterans, and is designed to provide reception and recovery of all veterans of the U.S. military. It's also designed to familiarize current service members, military veterans, and their families with services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense.

According to Lulu Liang, Voluntary Services specialist, VA St. Louis Health Care System, this year's event is tied into the Navy Week Celebration with over 100 booths from organizations offering services to veterans and their families.

Other Navy Week events include Navy divers and explosive ordnance disposal robots -- part of their interactive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) tour; and Caps for Kids at Sisters of St. Mary Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. Additionally, several Navy Band performances are scheduled throughout the city during the week.

The Spirit of St. Louis Airshow, featuring the Blue Angels, is set to cap off the weeklong events throughout St. Louis.

"The citizens of St. Louis can anticipate concerts that will be extremely entertaining, while also serving as a resource for their children in our school outreach concerts and clinics," said Master Chief Musician Tom Lawrence, Navy Band Great Lakes. "Our concerts will feature diverse ensembles and styles from jazz, rock, classical, patriotic, and more. Each musical unit is comprised of highly-skilled, professional men and women serving on active duty, proudly telling the Navy's story through the power of music."

St. Louis Navy Week is one of 15 Navy Weeks that focus a variety of assets, equipment, and personnel on a single city for a weeklong series of engagements designed to bring America's Navy closer to the people it protects.

For more information about St. Louis Navy Week, visit http://www.outreach.navy.mil.