Community, military partnerships and activities slated

Soldiers stationed at North Fort Hood and Coryell County residents gathered Feb. 7 at The Feed Mill in Gatesville to talk about upcoming events and opportunities for partnerships.

One upcoming event will be a Gatesville High School baseball game in March that will honor military personnel and first-responders.

"In the fall our football team has a military appreciation night, and this spring the baseball team wants to have an appreciation night," said Yancey Sanderson, executive director of testing and federal programs for the Gatesville Independent School District.

"We are planning this for March 21 and would like to have a military (dignitary) throw out the first pitch."

Sanderson also asked North Fort Hood personnel to see if there is anyone who works there or possibly at Fort Hood who might fill a specific job for the district.

"We are in desperate need of a diesel mechanic, so if anyone does that and is retiring from the military, we would be interested in talking to them."

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One event the community and North Fort Hood worked together on that took place Feb. 10 is a military appreciation fish fry at the Gatesville Civic Center. About 500 people were expected to attend the event, including up to 300 deploying troops.

The same weekend, North Fort Hood is hosting a Super Bowl party for soldiers, with many items being donated by the Gatesville community.

"This is an annual event at North Fort Hood, although we missed one year because of COVID," said Diana Fincher, director of the North Fort Hood Ministry. "The community has been supportive of this for 10 years.

"Our community is contributing a grill, and H-E-B is supplying donations of lots of sodas. Churches and the Gatesville Exchange Club are also part of this. This is a tradition and something our community strongly supports."

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Coryell County’s Ryan Basham and Doug Davidson, representing the Oglesby Lions Club, invited soldiers and community members to attend the annual Oglesby Lions Club Rattlesnake Roundup Feb. 25-26 at the Oglesby Community Center.

Basham said four shows are scheduled for Saturday — at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and three shows are scheduled for Sunday — at noon, 2 and 4 p.m.

The event will include live music, games, children's train rides, fried catfish and rattlesnake, and of course, the opportunity to see rattlesnakes.

"One guy will have a king cobra, snakes will burst balloons and one person will get in a sleeping bag full of snakes," Davidson said. "There will be an opportunity to watch rattlesnake milking (of venom) or even to touch a snake."

Weigh-in for the snakes will start at 7 a.m. Feb. 25, and as many as 1,200 snakes are expected to be at the event.

Cost is $5 to attend, although admission is free to children under 6 and also to military personnel and their families.

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Gatesville Exchange Club member and soldier Lauren Morrell talked about another event scheduled for later this year — the Gatesville Exchange Club Fire Ant Bicycle Tour scheduled for June 10.

"The cost to enroll is $35 through the end of March (with a price increase scheduled thereafter)," she said.

Fincher said the event is a popular one not only locally, but statewide.

"People come from all over the state to ride because it's such a challenge with our different terrain," she said. "Lance Armstrong (who won multiple Tour de France bicycle competitions) trained here."

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A new recreation center recently opened for soldiers at North Fort Hood. So far, more than 1,700 soldiers have used the facility. Donations are being sought for soundproofing materials for the building.

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On June 4, the North Fort Hood Ministry will have the North Fort Hood Military Heroes Appreciation Concert and Barbecue. This is the third time for the event, which had previously been held in April.

Other events planned include:

* March 4: The Gatesville Chamber Foundation Giveaway, which offers 200 people an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets to win $10,000.

* June 2-3: The Gatesville Chamber of Commerce Shivaree, which will include carnival rides, vendors and live music performances.

* April 1: The Go Texan scholarship fundraiser at the Gatesville Civic Center to provide student scholarships. This is in partnership with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

* July 4: Independence Day festivities to include a fireworks show

* Late July: The 86th Annual Gatesville Riding Club Rodeo.