HomeNewsArticle Display

Tinker volunteers brighten children’s holidays

  • Published
  • By John Parker
  • Staff writer
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Blond-haired and shy, 10-year-old Xander wasn't answering many of Capt. David Hanisch's questions.

That didn't deter the cheerful Captain Hanisch, sporting his ABUs and towering over the third-grader, from asking them as they shopped for clothes together in the department store's boys department.

"What do you think, Bud?" Captain Hanisch said. "Do you have any color preferences, ya think? Anything you want, man. What would you like? Are we asking you too many questions?"

What Xander didn't convey in yeses and nos, he more than made up for with nods, smiles and grimaces to pick out a shopping cart full of new shirts, pants, a warm coat and more at the 23rd annual Clothe the Children event Dec. 5.

Captain Hanisch and more than 40 members and spouses of Tinker's Commercial Derivative Aircraft Division with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center brought joy and bought clothes for 34 less fortunate children from Tinker, Del City, Epperly Heights, Schwartz, Steed and other area elementary schools.

Since 2000, the 250-employee division has held fundraisers, including silent auctions and bake sales, throughout the year, raising more than $63,000 to benefit 446 kids, said Karren Majors, a program manager and the longtime coordinator.

Last Friday morning, office volunteers and some of their spouses gathered at the entrance of the Town Center Plaza JC Penney's to pick one of 17 boys and 17 girls in grades K-6. Ms. Majors handed each of the "personal shoppers" a $150 gift card before they broke out into the store, closed exclusively for the VIP kids.

Kallie Hanisch, Captain Hanisch's wife, and 9-year-old Annalicia hit the shoe department first. The third-grader told her she'd really like some pink sneakers.
In the fitting area, Mrs. Hanisch sat squat on the floor, one leg under the banquet chair Annalicia sat on, and slipped on half a dozen styles on the girl's stocking feet.

Annalica's and Kallie's faces lit up finally with a size 7 pair of black-and-pink paisley Chuck Taylors.

"Those are awesome," Mrs. Hanisch cheered. "Oh, my goodness, those are adorable. I love 'em!"

Col. Francesca Bartholomew, the division's chief, shopped with 9-year-old Jazmin, who favors purple and anything related to Elsa, the young queen from the "Frozen" movie. In an impromptu speech before shopping began, Colonel Bartholomew praised Ms. Majors for organizing the event every year.

"It's great for the kids, but it's also wonderful for the division," the colonel said later. "The way it is now with the budget and the work that we do, it's just really uplifting to them. You actually see the results of what you're doing, as opposed to when you let a contract, or you award something."

Ms. Majors said Clothe the Children is the highlight of the Christmas season for many of the volunteers.

"Our volunteers are very giving people, and it is not unusual to see receipts where they have gone over the allotted amount by $50 or $100," she said. "The kids were very excited and appreciative of everything that was done to make this a wonderful Christmas for them."