Military Spouse Appreciation Day event held at Dover

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chad Padgett
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Military Spouse Appreciation Day is an annual event held every year to celebrate the sacrifices and contributions of the spouses of those who serve.

To honor the event, the Airmen and Family Readiness Center held a Bunko Bingo event at the Pinnacle Housing Community Center May 8.

"Bunko sets four people to a table, and we have 10 tables," said Renee Dixon, Enlisted Spouses Club president. "The game has the winners moving from table to table so there is a lot of socialization. It lets the players have a good time while having a lot of interaction with new people."

While meeting new people is always a good benefit for a night out, there were also prizes for the top Bunko Bingo players.

"All the prizes were donated by the A&FRC with the help of some local community groups," said Jennifer Aubrey, A&FRC community readiness consultant. "We have some nice gift baskets and gift certificates."

While the parents played Bunko Bingo and socialized, the children watched movies and had snacks in a separate area.

"We have day care providers from the Child Development Center here," said Mrs. Dixon. "Some of the spouses here have three or four children, so it makes it harder for them to come out to these kinds of events."

The CDC providers volunteered their time to support the Military Spouse Appreciation event.

"I try to help out by providing day care for the children because these events are so important," said Marie Ridgway, 436th Force Support Squadron CDC program assistant.

With the kids watching games and the parents given the chances to socialize and meet new people, planners believe the Military Souse Appreciation Day event was a success.

"It really took a coordinated team effort to make this happen," said Sue Holliday, A&FRC director. "To get set up, the ice cream, the child care; it was a lot of effort, but to see everyone having fun makes it all worth it."