Wild West Night is ace high, rootin' tootin' success at The Great Place

FORT CAVAZOS, Texas - The Fort Cavazos Spouses' Club took it back to the age of cowboys and gunslingers with its 39th annual Wild West Night Saturday at Lone Star Conference Center.

"Wild West Night is the Fort Cavazos Spouses' Club's biggest fundraising event - and it's for everyone," said Niki Strong, president of the Fort Cavazos Spouses' Club. "We love seeing the support from both our military members and the local civilian community. Every dollar raised at this event goes right back into the community through our grants program."

With over 200 people attending, event featured over 80 silent auction items and 12 live auction items for attendees donated by local businesses, brigades and Fort Cavazos Spouses' Club members. Along with the auctions, there was also line dancing, casino games, food and drink and a jail cell where attendees could pay to lock up others at Wild West Night for "offenses" including having too much fun or being a known accomplice.

Emy Nasiotis, a retired Army spouse, has been attending Wild West Night since 1993 and said she loves it.

"I love the people," she expressed. "We dance, we play the games, eat food, we meet people - I love it."

Emily Brizee, Army spouse and member of the Spouses' Club, agreed. It was her first time attending the event, which she described as a blast.

"My husband - he just got back from rotation," Brizee said. "He's been gone for almost 11 months between rotation and school, so this is our first outing since he's been back, and I think the atmosphere has been a blast. The community element has been a blast. He's been able to meet people. I've been able to socialize with friends and invite new people in to come to the event. … It has been so much fun, and the vibes are immaculate."

Brizee and her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Brizee, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, won a couple of silent auctions, along with a live auction item - a two-night stay at a hotel in Port Aransas, Texas.

"I will say we walked away very successful for tonight, but, honestly, it feels better to know that you're giving back to community organizations," Emily said. "And while it's great to walk away and say, 'Yes, we won all these items,' I know that we gave back to such a great cause, which is really, at the end of the day, what matters the most."

Opportunities to donate and fundraise like Wild West Night are great, said 2nd Lt. Paige Fixemer, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 36th
Engineer Brigade.

"I think any opportunity we have to give back to the community that does so much for us is super important," she said. "So providing families and kids with what they need is vital to our survival but it's also just building good relationships with everyone around us."

Retired Sgt. Maj. Gregory "E.D.I Greg" Ransaw, manager of the Fort Cavazos PenFed Credit Union, one of the sponsors and perennial supporters of Wild West Night, said an event like this is important in bringing people together.

"Just imagine the things that you can do when people are together," he said, "and this is one of those events that shows for togetherness. It shows for strength. It shows forth that unity that we need in this community."

Chris Knoedler, chair of Wild West Night with the Fort Cavazos Spouses' Club, said the event was
very successful. The event raised over $60,000, an increase from last year's more than $40,000.

"Just the energy in the room, like seeing this line to cash out - (it was) absolutely successful," she said.

During the night, she took a moment to thank the volunteers and sponsors who helped in facilitating the event.

"Thank you (the volunteers) so much for all of your hard work that went into this evening," she expressed. "It was absolutely a team. We couldn't have done it without you, and thank you to our wonderful community sponsors. Your generous donations are evident tonight, and it was just incredible when we were out talking with you - just the love that you held for Fort Cavazos - and it touched my heart. It touched all of our team just how much you support our community. We're so thankful for your partnership."

For more information on the Fort Cavazos Spouses' Club and its events, visit fortcavazosspousesclub.org.