HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah – Airmen from the 419th Fighter Wing, 388th FW and 649th Munitions Squadron joined together Dec. 16 to deliver Christmas gifts to children in foster care.
Continuing a years-long tradition, Airmen packed cars and trucks full of toys to deliver to families across Northern Utah who needed a little extra help for the holidays, especially with the challenges brought on by COVID-19. Due to the pandemic, Utah Foster Care fell short on gift donations this year.
“Our Airmen jumped in, led the charge, and organized a toy roundup,” said Senior Master Sgt. Drue Titensor, fabrication flight chief in the 419th Maintenance Squadron. “If it weren’t for the generosity of these Airmen, many kids would have gone without.”
Titensor said the Airmen also coordinated toy pickup and delivery to ensure the gifts are delivered with everyone’s health and safety in mind. That included a new drive-thru style pickup with appointments to ensure the process was seamless.
Also new this year, the 419th FW commander, Col. Matthew Fritz, helped deliver gifts.
“I can’t imagine anything better than helping to take care of this very special group of children in our community during the holidays,” Fritz said. “It’s great to see so many of our uniformed personnel step up each year to play Santa and bring these kids some much-deserved joy.”