By Marta Rose-Thorpe
Throughout 2022, A Superior Air Conditioning Company was able to bring our community’s Veterans and First Responders together for fellowship and meaningful camaraderie… nine times! We’ve been told many times how much these lunches mean to the men and women who unselfishly served, and are serving, our communities and our country.
In 2022 we gave away thirteen new HVAC systems to deserving Veterans and First Responders in need: eight new HVAC systems at our Texas Roadhouse lunch in Panama City Beach; four new HVAC systems at our Walton/Okaloosa County lunch at Faith Assembly Christian Church (aka “The Rock ‘n Roll Church”) in Miramar Beach; and one new system at the Downtown Panama City lunch which took place at First Baptist Church.
This year brings more lunches, HVAC giveaways, and opportunities for the community to get involved. We have arranged for the Arnold High School ROTC Color Guard to present the Colors during the PCB lunches; we have organized guest National Anthem singers and musicians; and have coordinated with the chaplain of Naval Support Activity Panama City (NSA-PC) to do the invocation and prayer.
The dates of the 2023 lunches are as follows (Downtown Panama City date to come):
Tuesday, January 10 – Walton / Okaloosa Co.
Tuesday, January 17 – Texas Roadhouse, Panama City Beach
Tuesday, April 11 – Walton / Okaloosa Co.
Tuesday, April 18 – Texas Roadhouse, Panama City Beach
Tuesday, July 11 – Walton / Okaloosa Co.
Tuesday, July 18 – Texas Roadhouse, Panama City Beach
Tuesday, October 10 – Walton / Okaloosa Co.
Tuesday, October 17 – Texas Roadhouse, Panama City Beach
Are you interested in getting involved and becoming a sponsor? Cost is $150 per lunch for Miramar Beach and $350 per lunch for Bay County ($1,200 for the year = four lunches). Annual Bay County sponsors will receive a free sponsorship to the First Baptist Church lunch in Downtown Panama City. Sponsor benefits include setting up a table, booth, tent, or display at the event that you provide; opportunity to distribute your marketing materials and swag; having your company’s logo included on all print material that promote the event (such as rack cards and poster); and addressing the crowd at the mic for a brief description of the service you provide. Lunch is included for you and a guest. 100% of sponsor dollars cover of the costs of the event. To sponsor, or for any questions regarding sponsorship, contact Jimmy Dallas for Walton/Okaloosa events at (850) 896-2955 and Steve Richmond for Bay County events at (850) 358-0908.
Not able to sponsor? No problem! You can still contribute by bringing a smile, a gift basket, coupons, etc. as raffle prizes for our guests. Come join us – and help get the word out to local Veterans and First Responders – so we can all thank the men and women who keep us safe in our communities and our country.
