Cookie drive brings home-baked holiday cheer to Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Heather Stanton
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The annual tradition to provide dorm-dwelling Airmen a bag of cookies is revving up this holiday season.

The Officers' and Civilian Spouses' Club is asking Team Seymour to bake and deliver approximately 650 dozen cookies to a sleigh in the Community Center between Dec. 8-10 for the Airmen's Cookie Drive.

"The cookie drive is an annual event designed to encourage the Airmen who live in the dorms during the holiday season," said Erica Sanford, this year's Airmen's Cookie Drive coordinator. "The Seymour Johnson community bakes the cookies, the OCSC organizes the event and packages the cookies and the First Sergeants' Council delivers them."

The event lets Airmen know that even though they are not with their families during the holiday season, they are not alone.

"The cookie drive is a chance for us to bring a little home-baked holiday cheer to those living far from home," said Joni Wallace, OCSC publicity chair.

All kinds of cookies are needed, according to Ms. Sanford, especially frosted, colorful, decorated cookies.

"Cookies should be dropped off in hard-sided disposable containers," Mrs. Wallace said. "This will not only keep the cookies fresh but keeps them from being broken."

The packaging event will take place after all the cookies have been delivered Dec. 10 from 6-9 p.m. in the Community Center. Anyone who would like to help out is encouraged to show up and join.

Once the cookies are packaged and adorned with a handmade card, courtesy of local elementary students, they will be delivered to dorm rooms across the base. Airmen should expect delivery Dec. 11.

"We want people to feel good about being a part of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base," Ms. Sanford said. "We want the holiday season to be filled with warm, uplifting encouraging experiences. Some Airmen may be spending their first Christmas away from home and we want them to know their sacrifice is appreciated. We may not be near family, but we can be a family to each other."