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Airmen make a special day for St. Martin’s school children

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – A player from St. Martin’s School shoots a free throw during a basketball game against the Spangdahlem Sabers at the Skelton Memorial Fitness Center during the annual St. Martin’s Special Children’s Day here Sept. 22. The St. Martin’s School upset the Sabers 24 - 18. This game was one of the many activities where Airmen partnered up with children from the Bitburg school hosted by the air base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christopher Toon)

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SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany – Children from St. Martin’s School and members of Spangdahlem Air Base pose for a group photo after the St. Martin’s Special Children’s Day here Sept. 22. Airmen volunteered to run the activities as children and their buddies went through them. This is the 16th year Spangdahlem AB has hosted this German and American partnership building event with the Bitburg school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Christopher Toon)

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SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Pascal Wolfram plays stick ball with his buddy, Master Sgt. Aaron Schutter, 726th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, during the annual St. Martin’s Special Children’s Day here Sept. 22 here at the Skelton Memorial Fitness Center. Airmen partnered up with children from Bitburg’s St. Martin’s School for a day of activities hosted by the air base. Airmen also volunteered to run the activities as children and their buddies went through them. This is the 16th year Spangdahlem Air Base has hosted the German and American partnership building event with the Bitburg school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard)Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard)

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Airmen make a special day for St. Martin’s school children

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The Spangdahlem Air Base Honor Guard presents the German and U.S. flags during St. Martin’s Special Children’s Day opening ceremony Sept. 22 at the Skelton Memorial Fitness Center. This is the 16th year Spangdahlem AB has hosted the German and American partnership building event with the Bitburg school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard)

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SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Col. Chris Weggeman, 52nd Fighter Wing commander, opens the annual St. Martin’s Special Children’s Day here Sept. 22 at the Skelton Memorial Fitness Center. This is the 16th year Spangdahlem Air Base has hosted the German and American partnership building event with the Bitburg school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard)

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SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Amin Lawal shoots a free-throw during St. Martin’s Special Children’s Day Sept. 22 at the Skelton Memorial Fitness Center. Lawal is a student from Bitburg’s St. Martin’s School who participated in the day’s events with Airmen who volunteered to be buddies. Airmen partnered up with children like Lawal for a day of activities hosted by the air base. This is the 16th year Spangdahlem Air Base has hosted the German and American partnership building event with the Bitburg school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard)

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SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Staff Sgt. Sean Barrett, 52nd Equipment Maintenance Squadron, watches as his buddy Brian Bausch gears up to throw a swinging ball at wooden pins during St. Martin’s Special Children’s Day Sept. 22 at the Skelton Memorial Fitness Center. Airmen partnered up with children from Bitburg’s St. Martin’s School for a day of activities hosted by the air base. Airmen also volunteered to run the activities as children and their buddies went through them. This is the 16th year Spangdahlem Air Base has hosted the German and American partnership building event with the Bitburg school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard)

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SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Tech. Sgt. Jason Nipp, left, and Staff Sgt. Lance Ortiz, both from the 52nd Equipment Maintenance Squadron, watch as their buddy, Marc Gorgen, launches a ball into a bin during St. Martin’s Special Children’s Day here Sept. 22 at the Skelton Memorial Fitness Center. Airmen partnered up with children from Bitburg’s St. Martin’s School for a day of activities hosted by the air base. Airmen also volunteered to run the activities as children and their buddies went through them. This is the 16th year Spangdahlem Air Base has hosted the German and American partnership building event with the Bitburg school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard)

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SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Staff Sgt. Arman Aranda,52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, right, races her buddy, Eve Ernst, on a balance beam during St. Martin’s Special Children’s Day here Sept. 22 at the Skelton Memorial Fitness Center. Airmen partnered up with children from Bitburg’s St. Martin’s School for a day of activities hosted by the air base. Airmen also volunteered to run the activities as children and their buddies went through them. This is the 16th year Spangdahlem Air Base has hosted the German and American partnership building event with the Bitburg school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Natasha E. Stannard)

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Airmen make a special day for St. Martin’s school children

Published Sept. 27, 2011
By Senior Airman Natasha Stannard
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- "This day is a bigger day for the children than Christmans," said St. Martin's School Teacher, Anne-Marie Heinen of St. Martin's Children's Day hosted by Spangdahlem AB Sept. 22.
This year 256 Saber Airmen volunteered for the 16th annual German-American partnership building day.

"This is a very important day for German-American friendship," Heinen said. "It's a great job the Americans are doing to help our children out."

The event gives special needs children from the school an opportunity to interact, play and socialize in a safe and open environment.

"This is great because these children don't always get the chance to be involved in extracurricular activities and interact with others," Heinen said. "For the Airmen to fearlessly look past their disabilities really meant a lot to us and the children."

Saber Airmen set-up and monitored events, cooked and cleaned up. They also partnered up with children from the school as their buddies to go through many activities. The stations including:

· Timed racing activities
· Timed balancing obstacles
· Free throw shooting
· Ball shooting and aiming activities
· 50-meter dash
· Knocking down pins
· Basketball

While these activities may just be another day on the playground for some, the ear-to-ear grins on the children's faces and bursts of laughter erupting in the gym hinted at more.

"I didn't know what to expect," said Master Sgt. Christopher Hartwell, 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron and event coordinator. "These children don't take things for granted. Something that may seem small to some folks means a lot to them."

After the St. Martin's children won a friendly game of basketball against the Spangdahlem Sabers, 24 - 18, the children were awarded medals for their participation and performance in each activity.

While the day was supposed to be fun-filled, it turned out to be more than anyone expected.

"I feel lucky to have this experience," said Airman 1st Class Samantha Brown, 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron. "I've never worked this closely with people with disabilities, and it gave me a whole new respect for them."

The event also helped build future relations between the base and the German community.

"I want to do this again next year," Hartwell. "Now teachers and children know who we are so the ties are definitely there. We're even talking about doing a St. Nikolas Day with them for Christmas. We'll do whatever else we can to help."

During the preparation for this event, coordinators from the base and community also formed the St. Martin's School kindergarten committee. The committee will bring Sabers and German community members together to plan more events like this.

For more information on this committee, call Tech. Sgt. Tuan Bui at DSN 452-6738 or 06565-61-6738.