NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas -- The fifth annual Ruck for Kids drive, led by the 301st Security Forces Squadron at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, took place Dec. 15, 2017.
The drive serves as an opportunity for both military members and local families to serve their community by collecting toys to give to kids hospitalized at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.
Tech. Sgts. Chad Ragland and Michael McDade, 301 SFS members, drove to O.A. Peterson, Haslet, and Sendera Ranch elementary schools to collect the toys.
As children came out by grade at one of the schools to donate their toys, Spring Ragland, wife of TSgt. Ragland, helped organize the children.
“It’s amazing, the kiddos love it,” she said. “In the mornings Garrett [her son] says, ‘Don’t forget to get me a gift, so I can give to the kids who need gifts.’ It makes me happy to give through his eyes.”
Another school turned the toy drive into a unique learning project for the students.
“This is a fourth grade service-learning project,” said Ms. Sara Luft, Haslet Elementary School vice principal. “The kids were able to lead the entire school in their efforts to collect the toys and donate them this year.”
According to Luft, the school already has a 2018 plan to surpass this year’s involvement.
The other kids who are watching are second graders, said Luft. Our hope is that this year gets their excitement up, so that by the end of next year we have all of our kids out here helping load toys because we have so many donated.
After collecting the toys, Ragland and McDade drove them to Cook Children’s Medical Center where employees unloaded them.
Toys collected from the Ruck for Kids drive will be given to children who need a little something to brighten their day throughout the year, not just during the holiday season.
Next year, the squadron plans to increase the amount of donations by getting more units involved in the drive.