MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- The spirit of Saint Nick brought smiles to children's faces at a Christmas Workshop held at the base chapel Dec. 7.
Kaneohe Bay encouraged special needs children from throughout the island of Oahu to come out and participate in the festivities. Various activities kicked off at 2 p.m. with music and pony rides, plus an interactive church service, volleyball, face painting, basketball, music therapy, a full petting zoo and what seemed to be the kids' favorite, the parachute game. Several games took place at once, and both children and parents were fully involved in the fun.
Children with disabilities ranging from attention deficit disorder to severe physical handicaps also paired up with a buddy who was from the Aliamanu Military Reservation Teen Center to enjoy the games.
The special workshop is in its third year of development at K-Bay; however, this year was slightly different because MCB Hawaii combined its efforts with the chapel at 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry (Light) Division, instead of just working with Marines and Sailors here. That change brought even more volunteers and provided the base with the chance to put together its most successful workshop in three years.
"It is a great opportunity for the kids," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Kimble, religious program coordinator for the base chapel, in charge of coordinating community outreach programs on base.
Kimble said that he believed the best part of this year's workshop was the church service because children had the chance to go up on stage and interact while learning about the history of Christ.
He was also overjoyed by the positive response from parents, and said the chapel is already looking forward to next year's workshop.