OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- The annual Offutt Advisory Council’s Appreciation Day Picnic was held May 29, 2025, at the Bellevue Berry and Pumpkin Ranch in Bellevue, Nebraska.
This year’s picnic was a little different. Normally, Herman Colvin, the OAC Board of Directors member and annual picnic organizer would be on the forefront of this effort. Sadly, Herman passed this year leaving Tim Burke, Bob Danenhauer, George Rybar and John Winkler to take over the responsibility for putting the picnic together.
“It was to say the least difficult, but Herman did a great job of keeping notes and detailed records of the things that he did, and he actually organized a great deal of the tasks before his passing,” said John Winkler, Offutt Advisory Council vice president. “This picnic was his ‘baby,’ and I believe the last message he left us was 'don’t’ screw it up.' In addition, his lovely wife Susan Colvin was always intimately involved in the planning and organization of the picnic and her insights, directions and support has been invaluable."
The OAC has coordinated the annual picnic for 30 years.
“We consider ourselves 'Herman Heroes,' to carry out this event and contribute to his legacy of an amazing community leader and supporter of our military men, women and families,” said Tim Burke, OAC co-chair.
These four gentlemen were able to put together this event to honor Team Offutt members and their families for their sacrifices.
“I feel this event is a small token of our community’s immense appreciation for the service and sacrifice that the men in women in uniform and their families make every single day to protect our cherished freedoms, liberties and safety of not only us as individuals but our families and nation,” Winkler said. “Although our debt of gratitude can never be repaid fully, this is a gesture that their selfless sacrifices do not go unnoticed nor unappreciated.”
The committee was able to honor approximately 18,000 service members and their families during the picnic, which included free food, drinks, pony rides, bounce houses, rock climbing walls, face painting, hayrack rides and drawings for hundreds of prizes that were donated by local-area businesses.
“This event is not just a picnic, it is a heartfelt tribute to your resilience, to your sacrifice and to your unwavering support to your military members,” said Col. Mark Howard, 55th Wing commander. “Resilient Airmen and families are essential for our wing’s success and for our base’s success. The OAC and Tim Burke, the president, host events like this to build upon that resilience and to show how important you are. So, thank you OAC for your incredible support, we don’t have what we have here in Nebraska without you and Nebraska is much better for it, because of you.”
The OAC members could not have accomplished the goal of putting together the picnic without the help of Team Offutt members and the Omaha Metropolitan area contributing to this event.
“None of this is possible without the countless hours of volunteer time, sponsor donations, vendors supplies, and we want to express our sincerest and deepest appreciation to all of them for their assistance,” Winkler said. “In addition, we are honored to carry on this great tradition and the legacy left to us by Mr. Herman Colvin; who we know will be watching us every step of the way on that day to make sure we didn’t “SCREW IT UP.”