Volunteers raise funds for Cuban community

Photo By Sgt. Reba Benally | A volunteer serves spaghetti to other volunteers and Special Category Residents during the inaugural Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser, April 10, at the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay community center. The funds will help provide SCRs the ability to participate in activities throughout GMTO  

NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA

04.10.2015

Story by Sgt. Reba Benally 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

U.S. NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba – The Guantanamo Bay community center was filled with Latin music, laughter, chatter and Italian food Friday night. Volunteers raised money for the elderly Cuban community to allow them to socialize with the rest of the base by providing funds for activities, and to bring awareness to GTMO of the Special Category Residents.

The Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser was the first of many to shine light onto the SCRs.

“SCRs are the Cubans who never left. Everything started changing here, and they stayed back. They have a very unique role here,” said Christie Knobeck, one of Friday’s event organizers. “The spaghetti fundraiser was to celebrate the SCRs, make them our VIP guests and to have a guest speaker here tonight to bring awareness of their whole history here in GTMO.”

For the SCRs first fundraiser, the outcome was quite surprising for some.

“I’m actually really happy. I wasn’t sure what to expect. We still had a really good turnout,” Knobeck said. “It was non-stop.”

Sgt. 1st Class Peter Niño, the plans and resource non-commissioned officer in charge of J6, and event volunteer, shared his appreciation for everyone who came out.

“I think it was very successful, along with the history that came along with it – it was very informative. I appreciate it," Niño said. “It went very well. A lot of people showed up. People are smiling. The food was excellent.”

There are plans in the works for more fundraisers. The funds will go to the SCR’s social activities, which include bowling, dining and other meet-and-greet events.

“There will be a 5k in May that will also be about celebrating the SCRs. That was brought to the group tonight, so that they can pre-order their T-shirts, so they can get excited about that,” Knobeck said.

The SCRs have also created a recipe book with Cuban Cuisine that was for sale at the front entrance; recipes like, pescado Habana – Grilled Fish Havana Style, Cuban empanadas, mantecaditos – Cuban cookies, even an alcoholic beverage called Papa Hemingway. The books will be sold at their fundraising events.

“My intent is to help leave something behind and hopefully someone can take the torch and make this so much better,” Knobeck said in closing, with a kind smile. “These guys need to feel the love that they deserve.”

• Date Taken: 04.10.2015
• Date Posted: 04.17.2015 10:14
• Story ID: 160334
• Location: NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, CU