Courtesy Photo | A Christmas Care Package event for deployed soldiers of the 103rd Expeditionary...... read more read more
By Spc. Christine Bivens
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Christmas Care Package event for deployed soldiers of the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command was held at the Historic Fort Des Moines Museum on Saturday, Dec. 4.
Volunteers from many organizations provided games, goodies and crafts for local children and their families who came to wish the soldiers holiday greetings by making gifts, cards and chatting with them live via teleconference.
Volunteers from International Association of Administrative Professionals, In the Bag and Crafting for Charity hosted the 3rd annual Christmas Care Package event along with the Executive Director of the Fort Des Moines Museum, Joe Nolte. Together they provided gifts bags for the children, photos with Santa, Christmas cookies and everything you could ever want to make a Christmas card with.
More than 25 families came to the event to show their support and share in the holiday festivities.
“We came to an event here for Halloween and heard about this Christmas event so we decided to come to this one as well,” said Vona Currier, event patron, “it’s just a lot of fun. The kids just love it and we’ll continue to come to more of these events.” Currier brought her three daughters Katherine, age 10, Kira, age 8, and Kristal, age 5 to make Christmas cards for the soldiers and have their faces painted with cheerful holiday icons.
Among the many families who attended this year’s Christmas Care Package event, Sonya Jones and her son Tommy Jones came to show their support and receive the special opportunity to see and talk to Master Sergeant Darnell Jones, husband to Sonya and father to Tommy.
“We try to talk as often as we can but something about actually seeing him just means so much,” said Sonya as tears swelled in her eyes while watching her husband and her son talk and wave to each other.
Games such as Ring Toss and Bean Bag Toss were held upstairs in the Museum with prizes for the children. They were also able to decorate their own cupcakes and sugar cookies downstairs with marshmallows, red hots, frosting and sprinkles. However, the most popular event area was the teleconference room where everyone crafted cards and small gifts while waiting for a chance to talk to the soldiers themselves overseas.
Many children stepped up to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to the soldiers. Some children got the opportunity to chat about their favorite sports teams, what they wanted for Christmas and what it’s like to be a soldier. Together they shared smiles, laughs good holiday cheer.
| Date Taken: | 12.09.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.09.2010 12:02 |
| Story ID: | 61636 |
| Location: | FORT DES MOINES, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 6 |
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