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McGuire ‘Devil Raiders’, spouses make Halloween ‘Spooktacular’ possible

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Francis Lalic
  • 21st Air Mobility Operations Squadron
McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. --  With Halloween spirit in the air, more than 150 Devil Raiders family members from the 621st Contingency Response Wing gathered for the first Children's Spooktacular held at the Global Response Deployment Center Oct. 25. 

"The purpose of the event was to celebrate the fall season with food, games and crafts while spending time socializing with our CRW families," said Patsy Anderson, wife of Col. Richard Anderson, 621st CRW vice commander, who organized the event. 

According to Ms. Anderson, a collaborated effort between the senior spouses of the 621st CRW wing, groups and squadrons made the event possible. 

"We also get great support from our active-duty Airmen as volunteers," she said. "It was great to see so many CRW families attend and active-duty volunteers dress up and help." 

The volunteers, along with the senior spouses, led the activities, which included a spooky walk, a duck bath, a spooky photo, a spider ring toss and pumpkin bowling. 

Some children dressed as characters from their favorite movies, some dressed up like stuff animals and some as scary villains, ghost and goblins. They had the chance to showcase those costumes during the Monster Mash parade, which highlighted the event. 

Ethan Shield, 2, who dressed as a "Devil Raider", definitely had a great time, according to his dad, Staff Sgt. Daniel Blair, 816th Global Mobility Squadron. 

"The event was a fun experience for my son," Sergeant Blair said. "He had a blast playing all the games and running amok." 

Additionally, the Fire Department's own Sparky the dog handed out candy, safety-tip bags, key chains and fire hats during the two-hour Halloween event. 

"The firemen brought the fire truck and talked about fire safety month and trick-or-treating safety tips," Ms. Anderson said. 

Even though the wing event was meant to be a celebration of fun and safety, the 621st CRW spouses added a twist and spearheaded a food drive. 

"We asked those who attended to bring non-perishable items to help re-stock the Food Pantry at McGuire's Airman and Family Readiness Center," Ms. Anderson said. "It's just our way of helping out during the start of the holiday season."