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***image1***The KMC united Saturday and raised $6,570 during the Seventh Annual Holiday Spirit Drive at the Vogelweh Commissary and Ramstein Base Exchange.
“Our audience is so good to us, and we can do something for them by facilitating the Holiday Spirit Drive to draw people into these worthwhile charities,” said Master Sgt. Dan R. Robinson, American Forces Network Kaiserslautern station manager. “It’s our way to give back a little bit.”
Throughout the drive, AFN Kaiserslautern provided the music and framework for KMC organizations and members to offer prizes and announce challenges and pledges over the airwaves, Z100.2FM.
***image2***This was the first year that KMC also donated toys to the 415th Base Support Battalion’s Army Community Service Toy Outreach Program through the spirit drive. More than 70 new toys were collected Saturday for the program which will be distributed to KMC Army families Dec. 17 to 18.
“I’m helping someone else,” said 8-year-old Mac Moehlmann, Ramstein American Elementary School second-grader, who asked his mom if he could donate twice at the Vogelweh Commissary spirit drive location. “They need money for toys and food for people.”
A hometown feeling was felt throughout the day at both locations as community members contributed, rang bells and sang Christmas songs. Adding to the hometown feeling was Kaiserslautern United Service Organizations’ volunteers who served free hot dogs, assortments of goodies and hot cider, chocolate and coffee to participants, contributors and those passing by outside the Vogelweh Commissary.
The money is divided and given to the Air Force’s KMC First Sergeants Council and the Army’s KMC Sergeants Major Association.
For the Air Force’s KMC Top 3, the spirit drive is one day of their Ring the Bell Program where they collect money outside the Ramstein Commissary and Base Exchange Saturdays and Sundays from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Ring the Bell collects money for the KMC First Sergeants Council’s Holiday Cheer Program.
“The AFN Spirit Drive is much needed and appreciated in raising additional funds for our holiday program,” said 2004 Holiday Cheer Program Chairman Master Sgt. Roderick A. Schwald, 835th Communications Squadron first sergeant and the KMC First Sergeants Council secretary. “During the holiday season, the KMC really opens up their hearts and wallets to assist local military families.”
Through this program and the spirit drive, the KMC First Sergeants Council gives food vouchers to Airmen families for their Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
The council was able to give food vouchers to 422 Air Force families for their Thanksgiving dinners this year, and they are expecting to help more than 300 families with their Christmas dinners.
The KMC Sergeants Major Association gives the money collected during the spirit drive to the 415th Base Support Battalion Chaplain’s Fund, which collects money during the year for Operation Helping Hands. This program provides food vouchers to Soldiers’ families identified by command sergeant majors.
Turkeys with all the trimmings were given to 333 KMC Army families this Thanksgiving through the program and assistance from the Kaiserslautern USO, 415th BSB Army Community Service, commissary vendors and the KMC Sergeants Major Association.
The Chaplain’s Office expects to help about 350 KMC Army families for their Christmas dinners.
Food vouchers will be handed out as the families pick out toys contributed to the Toy Outreach Program. Toys will be distributed 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 17 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Kaiserslautern-Landstuhl Spouses’ Association Office, Bldg. 2923 on Pulaski Barracks.
Army Air Force Exchange Service, Defense Commissary Agency and commissary vendors gave away gifts, sponsored drawings and shopping sprees throughout the drive.
