JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen
gathered at the Hickam Officers Club to share their love of reading during the
Books on Bases event, June 2.
Hosted by Blue Star Families and
supported by Disney, the event provided over 1,500 books to children of
military members.
“Books on Bases is a program that
impacts children through reading,” said Meghan Wieten-Scott, Blue Star Families
consultant. “Since 2009, Blue Star Families has distributed over 140,000 books
and impacted over 150,000 military children worldwide.”
Over 300 people showed up for the
event, which was coordinated by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Stoltz,
647th Air Base Group photojournalist.
“I wanted to continue what Joint
Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPH-H) and the 15th Wing did last year,
and that’s providing books to children,” said Stoltz. “In today’s world, where
millions of kinds have their noses pressed against a screen, my hope is to have
them bury it in a book instead. I’m just glad we were able to get the support
from Blue Star Families and are able to give back to the community.”
The event began with U.S. Navy
Commander Corey Hurd, JBPH-H chief staff officer, speaking about how reading
can help families cope with the stress of military life.
“Reading together as a family has
several benefits,” said Hurd. “Losing
yourself in a book not only helps you deal with the stress of moving but also
helps build fond memories that you and your families can carry with you
throughout the years.”
During the event, Hurd, along with
Manko Tamaka, Disney Resort ambassador, read Tommy Can’t Stop by Tim Federle.
Afterwards attendees browsed stacks of books, and thanks
to a generous donation from Disney, chose up to five books to take home. The
children were also given a plush toy, and even had a surprise visit from
the infamous duo, Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
“Military life is not easy but we
signed up for this lifestyle, our children did not,” said Stoltz. “All the family time we miss due to
deployments and temporary duty assignments can take a toll on our children. This is our way of thanking our families for
their support.”
Blue Star Families program donates
books to military children, base libraries, Department of Defense schools, and
military-impacted public schools and libraries across the world.
For more information on Blue Star
Families visit their website at https://bluestarfam.org/resources/family-life/blue-star-books-on-bases/.