Retired colonel provides air support for Snowball Express

Air Force Links ^ | Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee

[SandRat]

12/17/2006 - LOS ANGELES (AFPN) -- Retired Lt. Col. Roy White picked up the phone and on the other end was an opportunity to contribute to the military again.

The phone call was from Michael Kerr, the founder of Snowball Express, and he wanted to get every military family who had a lost a loved one in the war on terror to California for a magical weekend. To make that possible he needed a lot of airplane tickets. Colonel White, now a captain with Southwest Airlines, was in a position to help.

The colonel said he found gathering support for the event was not a very difficult task. His company has many retired military people and they were eager to help the families of fallen heroes. He said he misses the military and was glad to do his part.

"It feels good to be helping military families," he said. "When you go into the civilian world, there are some opportunities for interaction, but a lot of the time you drift away very quickly. To get back connected in this way is very heart warming."

The Snowball Express, taking place Dec. 15-18, was made possible by contributions from numerous local and national groups. A party took place Dec. 16 at the Oakley National Headquarters.

Families were given a heroes welcome as they arrived at the party. More than a 100 local residents waved banners and cheered loudly. The party had catered food, a children's zone with a bouncy castle, daycare and demonstrations by professional skate boarders and BMX riders. Celebrities Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tony Hawk also visited the event to show their support.

Heidi Sims attended the party with her 2-year-old son Colin. Her husband, Army Capt. Sean Sims, died from insurgent gunfire in 2004 at Fallujah, Iraq. She said she was glad to see other families and deeply touched by the kindness of everyone who made the event possible.

"It's amazing that so many of us were able to attend," she said. "It's really nice to see that people who don't know us put their heart and soul into such a nice event."

Heidi Sims was also very excited to meet some other widows in person. She had communicated with many of them through support groups set up by the Army. She said it was great to see their children play together and relax for a weekend.

"Taking time away from our daily routines, letting our hair down and watching the kids have a great time has been great for us," she said. "We all have something in common, and it makes it easy to communicate."

Koji Kraft, a member of the Oakley Bike Team, performed BMX tricks during the party. He was eager to participate because he has a brother in the military that has deployed to Iraq.

"It makes me feel good to be out here," he said. "This is a great way to honor my brother, and hopefully I can bring joy to the children if even for just a short amount of time."

Colonel White said that the party showed the strength of a group, over that of an individual, and what can be accomplished by patriotic citizens.

"There is an appreciation that is outpouring from the American public that is best illustrated by today's event," he said. "It shows that they respect what those families are going through and want to help."

[SandRat]

Taking care of military families

[Kimmers]

What a wonderful story.....strength through numbers and I hope it brought strength to the many that are grieving and feeling alone....

[debbieargel]

Hello,
I am trying to refresh this posting and working hard on finding the volunteers and funding for this great project. At this time, California is facing so much heartache. So many events have been cancelled and so many are in pain. This is the last year Snowball Express will be hosted in California. At this time, volunteers and donations are needed. This event is something that California should be proud of hosting. This is for the children that have lost a parent in this war. Without the support of any organization, a few of us are trying to ask support for these kids. PLEASE...visit www.snowballexpress.com

This event will take place in five weeks. Without support, over 100 families will not have this experience.
Thanks! Deb

[freema]

Spread the word! debm29palms, tell us about this trip!

[debm29palms]

That's Jack, last year, watching the BMX stunts at Oakley :) This trip is just amazing. First off, it has to be, by far, the largest gathering of widows and their children. It is a chance for everyone to come together and have a little fun right before the holidays. The holidays are so hard and this helps a little. When we went to Oakley for the party and pulled up in the buses there were people lining the streets. One of my widow friend's sons started to cry. He thought they were protesters. Then he, and everyone else on the bus, realized that there were hundreds of people waving flags and holding signs (a lot like a Walter Reed Friday night FReep!) Everyone on the bus started crying....realizing how many people were there honoring our Fallen loved ones. Volunteers are there the whole weekend. So many people who are spending there time doing things for us to make this trip special. It is a little overwhelming and really, I don't know if they truly understand how much they are giving and how much it means to us. I really hate Christmas now. It is so hard without Don. In 2002 we celebrated Christmas as one happy family (I have this on tape...Don describing all the toys the kids got and what we were doing that day), he left for Iraq January 25, 2003, and he died March 25, 2003. If I look at that tape of Christmas I see our happy little world and I know 90 days later it is all OVER. Snowball Express is the only thing I'm looking forward to this Christmas season. The trip to Disneyland is part of the Snowball Express event. My kids, of course, loved that! They get to go to Disneyland with their friends right before Christmas! Their friends that also have Fallen fathers.....so they are not the "ONLY ONES" for a bit. I'm getting excited to go just thinking about it :)

[debm29palms]

A) I forgot to address my last post to ALL :)

B) I should have said that Roy White is one of the nicest men in the world! I have spoke with him numerous times he he is just the best.

Thank you for posting this. Anyone who is involved in Snowball Express and helping with this event should be honored and praised x 1,000,000!!!!

[marine86297]

How bout one of those tear warnings next time :)

I’m holdin back some strange liquid in my eyes right now.

Semper Fidelis

[marine86297]

I just saw your profile and what beautiful children you have. From one Marine family to another, our prayers will be with you always.

Your husband and the men & women like him will never be forgotten.

Semper Fidelis

[trooprally]

Now that the FReepathon is over, is there a web site collecting money for this?

This is a great event. Don’t want any one to miss it for lack of funds.

And debm29palms, Thanks for the first hand recollection. Nice.

[Mr] T

[SandRat]

Let me assisst with a hard Ping to a few folks to take another look at the Snowball Express.

[brityank]

Here's a big Bump and a Ping:

 

 

Snowball Express

[debm29palms]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. I am very, very lucky....my children are absolutely beautiful little people :) I am blessed to have them.

Semper Fidelis to you.

[debm29palms]

Thank you for bringing the website up :)

Someone has posted a link on the thread.

The child I mentioned that thought the flag wavers were protesters....Laura’s son Hunter. They burned a flag at his father’s funeral.......

Thanks again Sir :) I owe you a lot of “in-person” hugs now! :) Tell your beautiful wife I can’t wait to hug her too.

[debm29palms]

Thank you. I am sure Snowball Express appreciates that as well as all of the widows and their children who would have the chance to attend!!

HUGS

[trooprally]

"I see said the blind man to the deaf man". I thought that the link on Post 12 was just the Snowball Express logo. Didn't realize that it was also the link.

Thanks

[SandRat]

Snowball Express at http://www.snowballexpress.org/

[freema]

[debbieargel]

Thanks so much! My grandson Logan will be going to this. I’ll be talking about it on a radio station in Phoenix in the morning. Please send folks to the website to volunteer and bring support. Deb