ORONO – A local organization will be able to send military families to events for quite some time thanks to a large donation made by Wal-Mart on Tuesday.

The Wal-Mart Foundation awarded on Tuesday $10,000 to Operation Community Support, a local organization that for four years has been arranging for Maine military families to receive free or reduced admission tickets to events around the state.

The check presentation was held at the Alfond Arena at the University of Maine in Orono.

“It’s going to allow us to diversify further and expand on what we have been doing and to get as many soldiers and their families involved in activities and events that are already available,” said Skip Chappelle, president of the organization.

OCS sends the families of currently deployed or recently returned service members to the circus, fairs, the Maine Discovery Museum, University of Maine athletic competitions and various shows around the state. The group also helps provide departing and returning celebrations for soldiers.

This is not the first time Wal-Mart has donated money to the organization, Chappelle said. Three years ago, the foundation gave $2,500.

In January 2008, more than 100 soldiers from a Bangor-based Army National Guard unit will deploy to Iraq for the second time in five years.

Military families now call the Maine Guard’s Family Assistance Center to sign up for the event tickets, but some are placed on waiting lists.

“I’ll tell you, with the Wal-Mart donation, there won’t be waiting lists anymore,” Chappelle said.