More than 350 Offutt families gathered for the 25th Annual Winter Wonderland event Dec. 7, 2018, at the Lied Activity Center in Bellevue, Nebraska.
The family focused event, which was organized, led and ran by the Offutt Enlisted Spouses Club (OESC) and volunteers, supported all active duty and retired service members.
“Winter Wonderland is an opportunity for the Offutt community to come together in the spirit of the season and support each other,” said Jamie Schneider, who served as the chair for the 2017 and 2018 Winter Wonderland events, who is currently the assistant treasurer of the OESC and the regional vice president of marketing and communications for the American Heart Association.
Tickets for the evert were $1 and granted access to food, crafts, games, clowns, face painting, age appropriate gifts for children under 12 years-old and family photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
A team of more than 60 volunteers enabled the event to run smoothly for the approximately 800 attendees; the largest turnout for the event since it began.
“What is most important is not how much time each person gives individually, but that we have so many caring, selfless volunteers who gave their time and helped us make this event possible for families who need it,” said Schneider. “Having been at Offutt for nearly four years, I have always been amazed at how incredibly kind our community is, and how they show up when they are needed most. There’s something magical about Offutt.”
The annual event was originally held at venues on Offutt Air Force Base, but as turnout grew the organizers looked to the Lied Center to accommodate the larger scale event. Last year, 700 tickets were sold.
“I think the biggest success is seeing smiles on kids’ faces,” said Schnieder. “Military kids are tough, they’re faced with a lot at a young age, whether it’s frequent moves or a parent being frequently gone. It’s nice to embrace them and create wonderful holiday memories for them.”
The event has been going on so long that they have started to encounter second generation attendees.
“We’ve heard from young Airmen who have brought their families to Winter Wonderland after coming here when their parents were stationed at Offutt,” said Schnieder. “This event is a blessing to many, year after year, and I’m grateful to take part.”
Next year organizers currently hope to keep the event around the same size while making an even greater impact in the community.
For those interested in joining the OESC, their next meeting is Thursday, Feb. 7, at 6:30 p.m. at The Pointe at Rising View. Meetings are held the first Thursday of every month except January or when weather would make it dangerous to travel.