FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - The Army celebrated its 235th birthday Monday with much fanfare around the country and deployed locations throughout the world. Fort Wainwright children in Child, Youth and School Services programs joined the celebration by showing their support in special projects and activities throughout the week.
"We just wanted to wish the Army a happy birthday," said Nicole Cole, spouse of Spc. Whitney Cole, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, and lead teacher in the three and four-year-old room at Child Development Center One.
Cole and her class created a birthday cake from cardboard boxes, construction paper, glitter and more to show their appreciation for the Army and Soldiers serving at Fort Wainwright.
Children at both CDCs made American flags and displayed them throughout the centers and CDC One also set up and ran an obstacle course for preschoolers, said Betsy Sanborn, CDC director.
Family child care providers participated with a variety of activities and a red, white and blue week-long theme, said Tammy L. Ford, CYSS coordinator.
Children enrolled in School Age Services summer camp tackled a scavenger hunt Wednesday and teens from the Youth Center also did a scavenger hunt, but added a barbecue and an essay activity on "Why I like to be a military child."
Today is the culmination of the CYSS week-long birthday celebration and each facility invited Soldiers to read the Army Birthday Book to their children, Ford said.
While the Army was the focus of the week-long CYSS celebration, Cole said the three and four-year-olds in her room at the CDC had all the fun. "It was a lot of fun," she said. "You can always tell. The bigger the mess, the more fun we had."
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