The USO's 80th Birthday

Hip Hip Hooray for the USO’s 80th birthday! February 4th was a bustling day as USO Vicenza staff and volunteers began to prep and decorate the center ‘head to toe’ for all of the upcoming birthday festivities. Red, white, and blue balloons filled the center and put the USO in full party mode, including the giant “80” balloons, highlighting this momentous milestone. Volunteers put the final touches together, with handmade signs and perfect ribbon curls, ensuring no detail was overlooked. When the center’s clock showed 11:30am, the famished soldiers and Vicenza Military Community members began to make their way to the USO, excited to receive their delicious lunch and celebrate the special occasion. Patrons enjoyed tasty freshly made deli sandwiches with chips and apple sauce on the side, along with a refreshing soda or water to drink. No birthday celebration is complete without cake and cupcakes which were served alongside the lunches, thanks to donations from Volunteer Christine and Global Credit Union! Those who felt like testing their luck at trivia headed over to the table of awesome prizes and took a chance with “Fun Facts with Kelly!” She offered a variety of prizes such as candy, USO themed items, Bluetooth speakers, and so much more for those that guessed her different trivia questions correctly. With smiles all around, there is no doubt that everyone enjoyed the celebration and made many memories along the way! USO Vicenza looks forward to many more years to come of completing their mission of connecting United States service members to family, home, and country!