JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. - Children from Barcroft Elementary school received a gift from the Marine Corps: A chance to sit and talk with Santa about their Christmas wish lists.
Barcroft Elementary School students and teachers were bused Dec. 7 to the Cpl. Terry L. Smith Gymnasium on the Henderson Hall portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall to celebrate the holidays with Marines, Sailors and parent volunteers.
“We are continuing our legacy, a 35-year tradition with Barcroft Elementary School,” said Chanel Sharp, school liaison for Marine Corps Community Services Henderson Hall. “This is a holiday party we have around Christmas time [that allows] Sailors and Marines to connect with the children and give back to the community.”
“My daughter likes this stuff,” said Felicia Starr, a parent volunteer, who surprised her daughter, Aneel Starr, a first grader at Barcroft Elementary. “For her, it’s fun [because] she gets to meet Santa and make arts and crafts.”
When the children entered the gym, they greeted two lines of volunteers and Marines by low-fiving them as they walked by with smiles on their way to their seats. Students participated in arts and crafts and decorated ginger man shaped ornaments, sugar cookies and created miniature pine cone snow globes.
Though students were allowed to consume their artistically-decorated sugar cookies, Santa was easily the highlight of the celebration. With enthusiasm, children lined up one-by-one to sit with St. Nick and confessed their Christmas wish lists.
“How many kids get a chance to come on a Marine Corps base to spend time with a bunch of different people?” asked Sgt. Timothy Bogue, a volunteer mentor for Marine Corps Community Services Henderson Hall’s Mentoring Millennials Program. “This is my first time here at this celebration. I think it’s good. They get to get out of school for a day and to hang out.”
Teachers, volunteers and children ended the celebration by all singing multiple Christmas carols, which included “Feliz Navidad” before boarding the bus and heading back to the school.
For more information on the Marines Mentoring Millennials Program see: www.mccshh.com/slmillennials.html.