Families celebrate at Children's Festival Published April 27, 2010 By Connie Hempel 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- They're courageous, resilient heroes making daily sacrifices. Although they don't don a uniform every day, their role is just as important. They serve alongside us and support us in their own little ways, but don't let their size fool you; these heroes are our military children. Throughout April, military installations around the world honored this special group with Month of the Military Child events. To end the month-long celebration, Goodfellow held its 28th Annual Children's Festival April 24, with more than 425 family members coming together to share in fun and games. The Youth Programs created the free annual celebration to give families an opportunity to get together, relax and just have fun. "It's a time for parents and their children to spend time together without having to worry about anything," said Shandy Scott, Youth Programs director. Staff Sgt. Brad Nelson, 17th Contracting Squadron, agrees, "This is a great opportunity for the kids. Our kids were really surprised when we showed up today because we didn't tell them we were coming. They're having a good time." Army Specialist Brenton Couch, 344th Military Intelligence Battalion, said they've been trying to find things to do with his kids since arriving at Goodfellow just a few weeks ago. "Timing couldn't have been better," he said about the event. "We're always looking for stuff to do for our kids." With the help of more than 30 volunteers, Youth Programs staff provided families, both military and civilian personnel, with free entertainment and educational opportunities. Activities included face painting, finger painting, a bounce castle along with hula hoops and cake walk contests, to name a few. Some of the information booths included the fitness center, library and the dental clinic. Visits were made by Sparky the Firedog, McGruff the Crime Dog and Arnie-Dillo, too. Although Mrs. Scott said she noticed the most popular event to be the dunking booth, the bounce house and cake walk ran a close second. Overall, the laughter heard from the children running around, confirmed to her they enjoyed all the festivities. Mrs. Scott also said the staff gets very positive feedback from the families every year. "It makes all of the planning and preparation well worth it," she said. Planning for this year's event began four months ago and Mrs. Scott said she feels it's a privilege to be able to hold the family event. "I absolutely love giving parents and kids the opportunity to do something together," she said. "I know how hard it is to make the time for quality time together; we tend to get wrapped up in the 'need to do' things our daily life requires of us."
