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The sound of swirling horns and flutes, mixed with video game pinging, computer animation and youthful chatter, filled the room before the party even started.
Dozens of middle-school children joined Lt. Col. Lars Zetterstrom and Master Sgt. Kenneth Wilson, of the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern command team, to celebrate both the grand opening of the Sembach Teen Center and the kick-off of the 2012 Combined Federal Campaign Sept. 14.
“Today’s really tying three things together. First, it’s the grand opening of the teen center, but the teen center came into existence because of two programs,” Zetterstrom said, referring to the CFC and the Army Family Action Plan conference.
“This is a long time coming. It started really last October, when some of your parents and some of your teen representatives at the last AFAP conference told us that we need another teen center,” he said.
Using a special fund from last year’s CFC that goes specifically back into Kaiserslautern programs, Zetterstrom, joined by the garrison Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and Department of Defense Dependents Schools
staff, created the teen center.
“It’s great. This is a new opportunity for our youth to enjoy some camaraderie after school, and it’s a great opportunity to promote the CFC and the AFAP conference,” Zetterstrom said.
“I think it’s awesome. They have the latest games, and everything here is top-notch,” said sixth-grader Jalen Rahter.
The 2012 CFC, an annual campaign for federal employees to make donations to any of a number of nonprofit organizations, is open and runs through Nov. 16.
There are several ways for employees to make donations, said Mark Beachem, the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern CFC coordinator.
For example, all units have a CFC representative who can offer assistance, and employees can donate online at www.cfc.org.
Donations can also be made by calling 493-4050 or 4046, or 0631-3406-4050 or 4046.
“If they have any concerns, any issues, they can call these numbers,” Beachem said.
