The United States Navy selected Knoxville as a host city for a 2009 Navy Week celebration for September 1-7. Each year, the Navy selects a handful of cities across America to thank its citizens for their support of the world's finest maritime force.

This year's Knoxville Navy Week will include several performances by the U.S. Navy Band Mid-South "Freedom," and will feature the Accelerate Your Life Experience at the 2009 Chrysler Jeep Boomsday Festival.

While no ships will dock on the Tennessee River, The U.S. Navy Band will perform at the Volunteer Landing docks on Saturday morning before the University of Tennessee Volunteers vs. Western Kentucky football game. Vice Admiral Harry B. Harris, a combat pilot and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Communication Networks, will visit the Vol Navy in a reception late Friday afternoon.

Dr. Bill Lyons, City Director of Policy & Comunications, presented the Navy a proclamation claiming Sept. 1-7 as Knoxville Navy WeekSailors will visit local schools to talk about their journeys around the world while serving in the Navy. They'll throw out the first pitch at the Smokies final home game of the year, deliver food through the Mobile Meals program, add several pair of hands to a Knoxville Habitat for Humanity project and bring smiles and ships' ball caps to East Tennessee Children�s Hospital to deliver ship ball caps as part of the Navy's "Caps for Kids" program. A Navy Fitness Challenge will also take place at the downtown YMCA.

This year, 22 cities have been selected to host a Navy Week. These cities include not only Knoxville, but also: Tampa, Phoenix, St. Louis, Des Moines, Denver, Spokane, Janesville, WI, Rochester, Chattanooga, Oklahoma City, Quad Cities, IA, Boston, Salinas, CA, Omaha, Columbus, OH, York, PA, Reno, Albuquerque, Greenville, SC, Houston and New Orleans.

For more information on the 2009 Knoxville Navy Week, please contact Lieutenant Commander Kevin West at 423-320-3489 or [email protected].