First Lady Welcomes Marine Families to White House
(December 2, 2010) |
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2010 – First Lady Michelle Obama today
welcomed Marine Corps families to the White House for an
event that highlighted the Toys for Tots charity and allowed
military children to make holiday crafts with the first
lady. |
First Lady Michelle Obama works with military children
and White House decorators to create Christmas trees made of recycled paper at
the White House on Dec. 1, 2010. The first lady welcomed Marine Corps families
to an event that highlighted the Toys for Tots charity and allowed military
children to makes holiday crafts with the first lady. |
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Active duty and reserve Marines
and their families from the Washington area
received one of the first public tours of the
annual White House holiday decorations during an
event in which Obama paid tribute to their
community volunteerism.
Obama said she was honored to be with the
families who go beyond the call of duty in
volunteering with Toys for Tots. “We're honored
to be joined by so many members of the military
and their families, folks who show us every day
with their service, truly, what it means to put
others above self,” she said.
With pine aroma in the air, the Marines in their
dress blues and spouses and children in holiday
attire, toured the multihued rooms of the East
Wing that hold 19 ornately decorated trees.
Under the first lady's holiday theme of “Simple
Gifts,” the trees |
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were decorated along themes such as music, nature, Christmas gatherings, and for
the official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room, the “Gift of the
American Spirit.” |
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Down the hall in the Booksellers area “The Children's Tree” stood as a
tribute to the youngest members of military families. The tree was
decorated with ornaments handmade by 300 military children chosen by
Deborah Mullen, who also attended today's event and is the wife of Navy
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The tree shared
space with an oversized statue of First Dog Bo, made by 100 volunteers
using 40,000 pipe cleaners, a tour guide said.
In the East Entrance Landing, the military families viewed the “Military
Appreciation Tree,” conceived of by the first lady to honor
servicemembers, and adorned with glass ball ornaments depicting each
service color and seal and topped with a handmade dove to signify peace.
The first lady spoke to the families in the East Room, along with
retired Marine Corps Gen. H.P. “Pete” Osman, president and CEO of the
Toys for Tots Foundation.
“As first lady, I've had the privilege of meeting our men and women in
uniform on bases and in hospitals and in communities all over the
country,” she said. “When I make those visits, I come away not just with
a sense of pride and gratitude, but also with a sense of awe, both at
their courage and their sacrifice and at their commitment to serving
their country and their communities.”
Toys for Tots volunteerism “is just one example of how our military
families are serving our communities and Americans in need all around
the country, year-round,” Obama said, adding that the White House will
sponsor a toy drive for the charity for the second year in a row.
Toys for Tots had a very successful year last year, Osman said, “and
there's no doubt in my mind that the first lady standing behind it
really made it successful.”
The charity has distributed more than 400 million toys to almost 200
million children over 63 years, Osman said. “Our military servicemembers
today are making a difference, certainly Marines among them,” he said.
Obama and Osman appealed to Americans to support Toys for Tots this
holiday season, noting that gifts for older children are especially
needed.
“I want to thank you for your service and your work,” she told the
Marines. “I want to thank your families for the sacrifices you all make,
especially our little people who sacrifice just as much as the big
people do. This is your time of year. So, we wish you guys a happy and
healthy holiday season. We want you to enjoy this day.”
Obama then joined the children in the State Dining Room where she worked
alongside them, making fruit and vegetable stamps and decorations out of
recycled paper, and decorated gingerbread cookies.
Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Jason Armistead attended the event with his wife,
Sara, and toddler daughters, Brooke and Avery. Armistead, who deployed
twice to Iraq, said he enjoys volunteering with Toys for Tots at Marine
Corps Base, Quantico, Va., especially seeing the joy it brings parents
who can't afford to buy their children Christmas presents.
“I was brought up to believe that Christmas is more about giving than
receiving,” he said. “With the economic problems the country is in, this
is an easy way for people to help out. Most stores have collection boxes
and those gifts go out to your own local area.”
Sara Armistead also volunteers for the charity in Quantico and said they
have had no trouble getting help from Marines. “I think they really
enjoy it,” she said. “The fact that this is so different from their day
job, I think it makes them feel good and it's good stress relief.”
Marine Cpl. Joshua Quill expressed how important the first lady's
invitation was to the Marines. “I think it's absolutely amazing that the
first lady takes time for Toys for Tots, and it's very gracious for them
to open their home to us.” |
Article and photo by Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2010 |
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