Military Appreciation Event at Smolak Farms This Weekend

By LIZ TAURASI (Patch Staff)

This weekend as a thank you for their service, active-duty personnel and their families will enjoy apple picking at Smolak Farms in North Andover, hosted by BAE systems.

BAE Systems will host active-duty military personnel and their families at Smolak Farms for an apple picking event. As a thank you for their service to our country, each service person and their family will receive a half bushel of apples, a pumpkin, apple cider donuts, and an opportunity to participate in other various fall activities at the farm all compliments of BAE Systems and Smolak Farms. There is no cost to active military personnel (with proper ID).

The event will be held on both Saturday, Sept. 19 and Sunday, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

In 2014, this event reached nearly 400 military families in the New England area. This event is part of BAE Systems’ Community Investment program which annually contributes thirty percent of its company’s philanthropic dollars to military support organizations.

BAE Systems has been partnering with Smolak Farms for five years to host military appreciation events, including the company’s annual Trees for Our Heroes event which provides close to 300 holiday trees annually to service members and their families. Smolak Farms is located at 315 South Bradford St. in North Andover.

Visit its website at http://www.smolakfarms.com/about.

“It is an honor and privilege to be able to give back to these families who sacrifice so much on our behalf,” said Lu Goncalves-Getty, Director of Community Investment for BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector. “This has been a wonderful day for many of our military members in the past and we are happy to be continuing the tradition this year.”