Krilisha Janakis, a representative of Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) at Naval Air Station Meridian, asked the Meridian City Council at the July 1 meeting to consider a $25,000 sponsorship for the Wings Over Meridian air show.

Janakis told the council the two-weekend event will include the Blue Angels, a slate of civilian acts and hotel stays for visiting teams, and that the organizers expect about 75,000 spectators over the two weekends. "MWR stands for morale, welfare, and recreation," Janakis said. "We support all of the programs on the base...anything that provides support for our military families and makes their life more enjoyable."

Why it matters: Janakis emphasized that money given to MWR will be reinvested into base programs — libraries, child services, aquatics, fitness centers and similar services — rather than only covering event costs. She framed the sponsorship as support for military families in Meridian and said the $25,000 is her specific ask of the council.

Details provided to the council: Janakis said the show will be staged over two weekends with a Friday-night event the week before, that the Blue Angels will stay in local hotels, and that funds will pay for civilian aerial acts and other event costs. She did not present a written sponsorship agreement or request that the council vote at the meeting, and no formal motion or vote on the sponsorship was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Next steps: The transcript contains no council action or commitment on the sponsorship request; Janakis concluded by inviting questions and thanking the council. The council did not take a recorded vote on this request during the meeting.