Cash in camouflage - Brief Article
Carie A. SeydelRAF LAKENHEATH, England -- When a teenager asked for a battle dress uniform instead of a pair of jeans to wear to school, he had no idea what he'd started.
After Capt. Bruce Barnard coughed up the cost of new BDUs for his son Brandon, he started noticing other kids and workmen sporting the combat attire.
The popularity of the duds gave the officer an idea. He started a program to recycle BDUs to help a children's charity -- Kammies4Kids.
Seeking 200 sets, Barnard armed himself with $10 in stitch rippers and $8 in spray paint. He and his sons sprayed several donation boxes camouflage and waited.
"We built the program as we went, flying by the seat of our pants," the captain said.
He scheduled the drive in June to correspond with the military's peak rotation cycle. The result of the month-long campaign astounded Barnard -- more than 600 sets of BDUs donated from airmen at RAFs Lakenheath and Mildenhall. Barnard had to create a Web site -- www.geocities.com/kammies4kids -- with an updated "kammie count" because units were so eager to see how they measured up.
The captain and his volunteers delivered the uniforms to several local thrift stores run by East Anglia Children's Hospices. The organization operates three hospice facilities for terminally ill children, providing care and comfort to the patients and their families. These donations were expected to raise nearly $15,000 to support the charity.
Scheduled as an annual event, the Company Grade Officer's Councils at the two bases will take over next year. The captain said he raised his expectations for the next campaign -- the 2002 goal will be 1,000.
COPYRIGHT 2001 U.S. Air Force, Air Force News Agency
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group