Squadrons raise 2,105 cans of food

  • Published
  • By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE,Calif. --  When the 9th Air Refueling Squadron threw down the gauntlet, the 6th ARS was only to happy to meet the challenge.

The two Travis squadrons recently squared off in a contest to collect cans of food, with the 6th ARS winning the contest by bringing in 1,366 cans.

The two squadrons combined to raise more than 2,105 cans, which were donated late last month to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.

Lt. Col. Glen Goss, 6th ARS commander, appreciated his squadron's efforts to feed hungry families this winter.

"Thank you to everyone who helped make the food drive a success," Colonel Goss said in an e-mail to his squadron. "Your graciousness and willingness to help those less fortunate are further examples of your selfless service."

The contest sprang from Airman 1st Class Michelle Abreu, 9th ARS, who saw a KCRA news broadcast in mid-October regarding a food drive at the station.

The viewing lit a fuse in the Airman's mind to do the same amongst her 9th ARS compatriots.

The collection started modestly, with cans gathering outside Airman Abreu's office.
After a few weeks, she sent out an e-mail to others in the 9th ARS about the food drive.
That's when Capt. Jennifer Alickson grabbed it.

"I thought, 'Why don't we challenge our sister squadron?' " Captain Alickson said.
The two squadrons are highly competitive, Airman Abreu said.

"We're rivals with the 6th," she said. "Whenever I was thinking about doing it, I knew if it was just one squadron doing it we wouldn't raise as much."

They challenged the 6th ARS. When Airman Abreu returned from a week of doing another duty, she came back to find her collection had multiplied greatly.

"They raised a bunch of the food by themselves when I was gone," she said.
Captain Alickson said the food was raised primarily by people within the squadrons, including spouses and friends.

Each squadron's commander was "instrumental in drumming up the competitive spirit," Captain Alickson said.

Airman Abreu was quick to deflect recognition, instead focusing on how the two squadrons came together for the drive.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without our squadron," she said. "We're very unified in the 9th. When someone is doing something like I did, our squadron is always the first one to put everything down and help one another."

Captain Alickson said that, given the two squadrons busy schedules, they were still able to accomplish something positive together.

"What's really significant about this is that despite our high ops tempo, we were able to pull together to help the needy in the community," said Captain Alickson.