Photo By Cpl. D. J. Wu | Sailors from the Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital run laps with kids from Joshua Tree...... read more read more
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TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. -- Sailors with the Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital headed to Joshua Tree Elementary with the Adopt-a-School program, Jan. 25.
Combat Center service members go to the school every other Wednesday to spend time with students during their recess as part of the program.
It was the first time volunteering for many of the hospital corpsmen.
“I was expecting them to be a little quieter,” said Seaman Jeffrey Santos, hospital corpsman. “I didn't know that they were going to be so active.”
Some sailors were used to the hustle and bustle of children, though.
“I work in pediatrics, so I work with kids,” said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Wall. “I got the opportunity to mingle and play with them. It made me miss my childhood.”
The kids have had Marines and sailors visit them since September of last year. They now come to expect their visitors.
On these days, the men and women waiting on the school's blacktop playground are always a little shocked to see the onslaught of kids sprinting in their direction for recess.
“I was just surprised on the amount of energy they had,” Wall said. “They were just non-stop.”
The sailors took on back-to-back recesses of different grade levels and helped during one of the school's physical education classes.
But for the sailors, it wasn't just a day off work to play with kids. It was an opportunity to give back to their local community and be role models.
“This is the best volunteer work that we can do,” said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Shauna Galeazzi. “We're out here staying in shape while at the same time showing them how to say active.”
“This is the next generation out here,” Santos said. “We can't just come out here and half do it. There are things that you do as a kid that you just don't forget. For these kids I hope that this is one of them.”
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2012 11:46 |
| Story ID: | 83474 |
| Location: | TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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