Candace Oehler, the South Seattle Community College Director of Communications, volunteered for the Morale Entertainment Foundation which produced the highly-publicized, $2 million, Veterans Day basketball game on the USS Carl Vinson.The 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic took place on the flight deck of the United States Navy aircraft carrier docked at Naval Base Coronado, in the San Diego Harbor. The Veterans Day celebration was created to entertain and honor the men and women of the Armed Forces.

According to Morale Entertainment Foundation's website, "Morale Entertainment works closely with Armed Forces Entertainment to bring outstanding tours downrange. As the official Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel overseas, Armed Forces Entertainment and its performers have the honor of supporting soldiers, airmen, marines and sailors by bringing them the very best in American entertainment.
Entertainment has long been one of the biggest morale boosters for US military personnel serving overseas."

The spectacle marked the first college basketball game of the season, pitting the #1 University of North Carolina Tar Heels against the Michigan State Spartans. The Tar Heels beat the Spartans, 67-55. Seating for 8,000 spectators was constructed for the game. The event was produced at no cost to the American taxpayer. Sponsors like Quicken Loans and State Farm stepped up, and all proceeds benefitted the Wounded Warrior Project and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.

"I volunteered as a production/broadcast/media relations assistant," said Oehler. "My responsibilities ranged from PA script writer to celebrity wrangler. President Obama and Mrs. Obama sat right across the court from me. His speech was very moving. Other notable guests included Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, honorary team captains Magic Johnson (Michigan State) and James Worthy (North Carolina), EXTRA television host, Mario Lopez who broadcast live from the deck, hip hop artist B. Taylor, model Brooklyn Decker, and Pamela Anderson.

"It's more than a big ship, it's enormous," enthused Oehler. "I mean, 5,000 people live on it. It's a city. The first time I saw the big '70' for the SS Carl Vinson I thought, 'Oh my gosh. Im going up there.' It's like five stories high and you have to climb these ladders. To see the carrier deck, usually there are 75 jets and (for the game) there was nothing there. We built the stands the basketball court and turned it into the entertainment arena for almost 8,000 military and vets."