Students make quilts for Japan at Travis AFB

Published June 3, 2011
By Staff Sgt. Timothy Boyer
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Emotions were high as people across the world tuned in to their televisions March 11 to see images of a devastating tsunami sweeping over the landscape of Japan's coast. The tsunami, a result of a massive earthquake, caused lost lives and displaced families.

Travis became the entry point for more than 2,000 service members, dependents and civil service workers who voluntarily left Japan. Operation Pacific Passage was the effort to coordinate their arrival, offer medical care if needed and provide volunteers to help with luggage, childcare and pet care to help ease the strain on passengers arriving from this difficult situation.

"Many of the passengers seemed tired, but they had nothing but good words to say about the teams and efforts of all the volunteers," said Col. Robert Eatman, 60th Mission Support Group commander.

Three months later, Team Travis is still working to help the victims of the tragic events of March 11, but this time instead of service members and volunteers, it is military dependants leading the way.

Linda Lawvey's fifth-grade class at Scandia Elementary School completed six hand-made quilts Wednesday to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The children worked over the past two weeks cutting fabric, matching fabric squares and sewing the quilts together, said Lucy Salerno, Scandia Elementary School principal.

Students used special sewing machines, borrowed from Center Elementary School, that move at slower speeds to ensure a safer process, said Mrs. Lawvey. Even so, students found the process of cutting, matching and sewing the fabric difficult.

"It was frustrating at times, but I thought it was worth it because even though it's hard, you are still helping people," said Justin Moyer, fifth-grader. His father, Master Sgt. Jesse Moyer, 571st Global Mobility Squadron maintenance flight chief, was involved in offloading the cargo for flights arriving at Travis during Operation Pacific Passage.

The class felt bad after hearing about the misplaced children in Japan and the struggles they have to go through since many of their homes were destroyed, said Camille Lara, another student.

"I was happy to be helping people who had nothing," the 11-year-old said. "I learned how to quilt too. It was really hard."

The goal was to teach the children to give back to the community and the world, said Mrs. Lawvey. After discussing the impact of the earthquake and tsunami, the class was motivated to do something to help.

Mrs. Lawvey said she has taught her classes to quilt for other charities in the past, but the opportunity to help children in Japan really resonated with her students. The benefit of the project extended beyond helping Japan, it taught them how much they could accomplish with hard work.

"It was fun for me to see their faces light up with pride as they finished making the quilts," said Mrs. Lawvey.

"I was happy to be helpful," said Angelita Gomez, an 11-year-old student. "It was fun, and I felt happy to know I was making something for people who have nothing."