Stinger Spouses team winners of annual Big Give competition

Members of the Cannon Air Force Base community dedicated hours of hard work and service May 31 to community service projects they hope will leave a lasting impact in the Clovis community.

Cannon Connections: Christina Calloway

The Stinger Spouses wore big smiles as they accepted their first place award in Cannon's Big Give community service competition. The Stinger Spouses, led by team captain Juli Masaitis, renovated the New Vision Group Home in Clovis to make the residence more homely for the adolescent clients.

Six teams made up of airmen, family and community members participated in Cannon's Big Give 2012 competition.

Each team's project aimed to serve the Clovis community through projects that included renovations and beautification.

Members of the six teams rallied in bright yellow shirts and team attire June 15, showing support for Big Give at the awards ceremony on base.

Each team submitted a brief video that they felt best showed represent their project. Many of the videos contained before and after photos, interviews and theme music to accompany the work.

After the videos were played, The Stinger Spouses were named the first place winner and SAME High Plains Post placed second.

Members from all teams nodded in agreement that despite the results, each team offered a project that benefited the community of Clovis.

Aisha Melendez, a senior airman from Florida, worked on a Lyceum Theater project. Melendez was happy that her team was able to give back to the arts.

"It was important to do this and I'm sure it will make an impact," Melendez said. "This is entertainment for Clovis. To me, we helped a lot and we made the stage safe for the actors."

Sherrie Nymeyer, from Eunice, felt the changes they made to the Hillcrest Zoo were necessary, regardless of being in the competition.

"There are a lot of things that are just lacking over there," said Nymeyer about the zoo. "We wanted to make the zoo better for everyone especially the children. We did some really great landscaping and we worked to make it sustainable."

Cannon Connections: Christina Calloway

Members of the SAME High Plains Post team joyfully accepted their award for the Big Give project; landscaping Hillcrest Zoo in Clovis.

Leslie Scott, a military wife of the winning team, said they're happiness came from each teen that told them they were grateful for the renovations made in their group home.

Scott also added that the competition's teams touched on so many different areas of the community to bring an overall glow to Clovis.

"The other teams echoed that this competition just really reminds you of what you can give back to the community, even if you're only here for a short time," Scott said. "The teams used their talents and took into account, groups of people in the town that are sometimes forgotten."

Cannon Connections: Christina Calloway

The Big Give award ceremony audience voted for their favorite team in hopes that the team will receive the People's Choice award.

Scott said she was humbled to be recognized for their work with the group home and was happy to know they did something that will have a lasting impact after they're gone.

"We're excited to be recognized, but we felt the appreciation from the youth before that night and that's what meant the most," Scott said. "It is possible to make an impact, you just have to give forth the effort."

The Teams

• The Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) High Plains Post

The team, under Shelly Schmidt's direction, gave Hillcrest Zoo some much needed landscaping and renovations. The team constructed landscape water features within the zoo that included fountains and ponds. The group also installed educational signage throughout the zoo that displays information on recycling composting, water conservation and information on the animals.

• Stinger Spouses

Juli Masaitis led this team of military wives and airmen, who renovated and beautified the New Vision Group Home in Clovis. The home houses children ages 11-18 serving as a rehabilitation facility for children suffering from substance abuse and other issues. The group personalized bedrooms and decorated common areas to make their residence warmer and homely.

• The Justice League

Sgt. David Showers said his team put forth the effort to recognize the past and the future by pledging to visit the graves of fallen soldiers throughout the year as well as mentoring and tutoring children of Clovis schools.

• 43 IS

Team leader JoDel Halvorsen revamped the outside play area for the Korean Gospel Church of Clovis with his team.

• 27 SOCONS

Sgt. Timothy Ogburn and his team completed a beautification project of the Matt 25 Hope Center in Clovis. His team added plants, rocks and irrigation.

• The Director's Cut

Sgt. Yolanda Hutland and her team renovated the historical Lyceum Theater in Clovis. They made the stage area safer for actors as well as painting and cleaning the theater in addition to smaller tasks.