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MARSHALL - The parking lot at Hy-Vee was full of families Saturday, but they weren't all there to buy groceries.

Many were there because of a family fun day event organized by the grocer, other local businesses and organizations and the local Family Readiness representatives to honor families of active military service personnel, especially those deployed with the 1-151st of the Minnesota National Guard with units in Marshall, Montevideo and other cities.

"We came mostly to support other families," Amanda Engels of Minneota said. Her husband John was in Wisconsin this weekend but had been deployed to Iraq in 2006.

"We've been there done that, and now, we know other dads who are deployed," Engels said.

Engels was at the event with two of their children, Sarah and Peter.

"The other two stayed home, they didn't want to stir up (memories)," Engels said. Daughter Sophie, 12, didn't want to come and Ben, 6, started to cry at the thought, Engels said.

Engels said the responses of her own children show why an event such as Saturday's is important.

"Kids sometimes feel like they are the only ones going through it," Engels said. "It's especially important they see other kids (in the same circumstance). Grown ups have more resources to deal with it but that's not always true for kids. These kinds of activities acknowledge the kids..."

"It's really all about the kids," said Steve Glaeser, a military family assistance worker at the National Guard armory in Marshall. "That's very, very important."

While there were families at Saturday's event, many were kids with one parent because the other parent had been deployed.

Like Carson Johnson of Lamberton. His dad Shane Johnson of Taunton is a National Guard soldier.

Johnson was making a photo frame for his father.

"This is excellent," Johnson's grandmother Jean Johnson of Minneota said. "It is really important to support the whole family."

Bailey Streich of Springfield was with his mom and younger brother. His dad Duane "Winger" Streich is in Kuwait.

"It's kind of fun," Streich said of the event. His misses his dad.

"I miss fishing and stuff, tubing," Streich said.

His family writes letters and other stuff, Streich said. He also believes his mom is sad that his dad is not home.

Kids would climb an inflatable rock wall or jump in a bounce house outside in the parking lot. A tent was filled with items to keep or send to their soldier and it was bustling with activity as families and kids stopped at activity centers. Others ate lunch at a table and talked with fellow families of soldiers. A band and a clown performed throughout the day. A Web cast was broadcast so family and friends could talked to several deployed soldiers in Kuwait throughout the day.

"I think the event is awesome," Engels said. "It makes a person feel like they are not the only ones going through it. I got goosebumps just walking in here and seeing so many people."