Soldiers of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, serve Thanksgiving meals at Centennial Elementary School in Colorado Springs Nov. 20, 2015. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Nancy Lugo)
By Staff Sgt. Nancy Lugo
1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
COLORADO SPRINGS — A Soldier of 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, walks between crowded tables while serving up slices of pumpkin pie to students and family members at Centennial Elementary School Nov. 20.
The Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st SBCT adopted Centennial Elementary School as part of the Adopt-A-School program and volunteered at the school’s fifth annual Thanksgiving Day festival.
“Our school at Centennial has about 90 percent free and reduced lunch enrollment; this event may provide an authentic Thanksgiving (meal) for families not able to provide that at home,” said Kelly Lane, assistant principal, Centennial Elementary School. “We really take pride in providing this opportunity for our families to get together, be thankful and celebrate the holidays.”
The Soldiers assisted in classrooms, served food in the lunch line, cut up and served pumpkin pies, gave piggyback rides on the playground and helped clean up after the meal.
“Each student got to read three books to me. I think at first they got nervous because they see someone in uniform, but once you start talking to them they start warming up,” said Spc. Richard Azevedo, Stryker driver, 1SBCT, 4th Inf. Div.
Azevedo arrived early and assisted with a second-grade class.
“We are the mountain climbers, and we are climbing our way to third grade. We are working very hard on our computers and reading to the Soldiers and working on all that,” said Laura Weber, second-grade teacher, Centennial Elementary School. “It is just great to have somebody for our kids to read to; as much as they can practice, it really helps them and they just get excited when they see Soldiers.”