MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The Team Minot Spouses Club hosted its annual cookie drive, December 17 at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota.
During the cookie drive, more than 12,000 cookies were donated to give to single Airmen living in the dorms on base, as well as Airmen working during the holidays.
“The purpose of the cookie drive is to bring a little extra Christmas cheer to Airmen who may not be able to go home to see their families,” said Shannon Howell, the event organizer. “For instance, most of the dorm Airmen are 20 years old or younger and they can’t always afford to fly home for the holidays. We just want to give them a little extra Christmas spirit to brighten up their day and let them know we’re thinking about them.”
More than 1,000 Airmen in the dorms received a bag of cookies with a signed note attached to each bag.
“We’ve had cookies that were donated by many different volunteers, including base families, local businesses and the Minot Chamber of Commerce,” Howell said. “A majority of the bags we have were colored by the base’s elementary school children as well as elementary school children from downtown.”
With the help of the Team Minot First Sergeant’s Council, the spouses club was able to ensure every Airman received a bag of cookies. After volunteers prepared all the cookies, first sergeants went around base and gave the bags to Airmen in their units.
“This is a great event that brings in the holidays the right way,” said Senior Master Sgt. Wayne Sharp, 5th Maintenance Squadron first sergeant. “This cookie drive wraps up a strong year at Minot. It brings a family atmosphere to the base and it’s a way to give back to the Airmen and show them that we appreciate what they do and we’re here for them.”
While the first sergeants hand-delivered cookies to Airmen across the base, Sharp also mentioned how the event was a complete success due to the spouses and volunteers.
“This event helps show people the amount of support the spouses provide to the Airmen here,” Sharp said. “The cookie drive is just a small part of what the organization does every year, but this event was the icing on the cake, or in this case, the icing on the cookie.”