Team McConnell Airmen roll up sleeves

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ronald Lafosse
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  More than 40 Team McConnell members volunteered their time and equipment to work four-hour shifts during a three-day cleanup project at Joyland Amusement Park in Wichita, Nov. 14 to 16.

McConnell's Route 56, a junior non-commissioned officer organization, started this project as an opportunity for base members to give back to the local community.

When first starting the project, the goal was to help clean up recently vandalized areas of the amusement park. However, as Airmen stood up and took a look at the big picture, they realized the entire park needed an overhaul.

Understanding the effort required to revitalize the park, Route 56 sought a combined effort from other organizations around base.

"We have had some great support from the base and other organizations," said Tech. Sgt. Douglas Wilson, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century.

The Airman's Council, an organization of airmen basic to senior airmen, was first to respond to the call for joint effort.

Next, First Term Airman's Center Airmen volunteered and showed even the newest Airmen know the importance of helping the community.

McConnell's Airman Leadership School class also pitched in to fix up the park.

"We came out here, originally, just to clean up graffiti and broken glass, and then we identified other needs the owners didn't have the resources to handle," said Sergeant Wilson.

Starting out the project, removing weeds as tall as six feet from around and inside the park's rollercoaster, Airmen surpassed expectations of the project coordinators, said Sergeant Wilson.

"It makes us feel pretty good," said Stan Nelson, park owner, while watching Team McConnell Airmen resurrect the park into a semblance of its former glory.

The project coordinators plan to continue the revitalization of the park, weather permitting, but whatever can't be taken care of this year, Route 56 will start up again next spring after the weather has warmed.

"This was just the first phase of the project," Sergeant Wilson said. "We have more work to accomplish here and with the cold weather fast approaching some may be put off until the warmer season."

"The community sees a picture of the military deploying and this gives them another facet the military does," said Sergeant Wilson. "It's just not on base that we work and operate, we come out in the community and we give back."