Celebrating 61 years of support: Fort Leonard Wood community to honor ACS at birthday bash

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The Fort Leonard Wood Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation is inviting the community to [celebrate 61 years of Army Community Service](https://leonardwood.armymwr.com/calendar/event/61st-birthday-celebration/7279954/109984) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 24, 2026, at Bldg. 486to honor ACS's dedication to supporting military members and their families.
The celebration will feature informational booths, games, prizes, food, cake and yard games for children.
“We are going to have our popcorn machine popping some popcorn, and we’re going to have some hotdogs and chips and ice-cold water,” ACS Specialist Heide Lenning said. “We will also have yard games, such as bean bag toss, life size tumbling blocks and sidewalk chalk, going on at the same time so the kiddos can have something to do while their parents are going around getting information.”
She highlighted a new addition to this year’s event, specifically included to keep young children entertained and cool during the summer heat.
“This year for the first time, we are going to have a little octopus water feature so the kids can cool off, and we will also have a small splash pad,” Lenning said.
According to Megan Moran, Army Emergency Relief officer, the water feature will not be the only new feature at this year’s celebration.
“We always have information tables, and all of our specialist are great at providing information about the resources available,” Moran said “So, this year, we are having the participants get more engaged by having 60-second challenge games at the tables.”
Moran said attendees can win various swag and prizes associated with the services and programs represented.
“This allows us to have more engagement with them while their visiting,” she said. “It’s a chance to meet the community and have some conversations and then hopefully they learn about the organization.”
As part of DFMWR, ACS offers a range of services and programs, including the Family Advocacy Program, Financial Readiness Program, Army Emergency Relief, Exceptional Family Member Program, Survivor Outreach Services, New Parent Support, and Information and Referral.
Moran said hosting the annual birthday bash is vital for keeping the community connected with ACS as its programs and resources are continuously evolving.
“I think it’s huge to reengage the community on the programs because every single year they are changing and offering new things,” Moran said. “I think it reenforces what ACS does for the Fort Leonard Wood community and gives them an opportunity to learn about how our programs can help.”
Both Lenning and Moran said they are looking forward to interacting with the community and to seeing the kids get a chance to enjoy themselves.
“To get the community involved with the games and see the kids get to splash around in the water and play, is going to be more fun not only for the kids, but for us too,” Lenning said.
More information about Fort Leonard Wood’s ACS program is available on the [FMWR website](https://leonardwood.armymwr.com/categories/community-support). To contact ACS, visit Bldg. 486 on Replacement Avenue, or call 573.596.0212.
ACS’s standard business hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.