The Rotary Clubs of Austin and Killeen had the great pleasure of hosting the cutest little military family from Ft. Hood in June @ the Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel in downtown Austin. !st Sgt. Casey Brinkley, his wife Heather, daughter Aubrey (3) and their new twins Willie Ray & JoLee (5 weeks old) arrived Friday just in time for dinner and were greeted by Mary Reynolds, the chair of Operation Vacation for both the Rotary Club of Austin and the Board of the Austin Hotel Lodging Association.
They were presented two bags of goodies and Aubrey took great delight in unpacking the bags and handing out all the surprises. She was so much fun to watch because she got so excited about each one whether it was for her or her brother and sister. Heather was very touched by the hand made knitted blankets for each of the babies made by Michelle Heyman of the Rotary Club of Austin-a real treasure! Operation Vacation is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Austin & Killeen, the Austin Hotel Lodging Association, County Line Restaurants, Around Austin and the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. The selected hotel furnishes the complimentary weekend including Friday night dinner and breakfast each morning. Around Austin and the Austin Rotary Club puts together the gift bags and entertainment. And the County Line furnishes dinner with all the trimming on Saturday night. It is an incredible way to show our soldiers how much we appreciate their service to our country and the sacrifices their families face while they are deployed. 1 Sgt. Brinkley had just returned to Ft. Hood the night before they came to Austin after being called home for an emergency with his mom. He was so excited to see the twins since he was deployed right after they were born and then spent a week with his mom in the hospital. So it was the perfect way for him to relax and enjoy his family after such a hectic whirlwind. Thanks to everyone who made this family feel so loved and appreciated.