HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- The Shifting Sands Dining Facility faculty partnered with the Youth and Teen Center in organizing a baking competition, Jan. 30, 2019, here.
Airmen assisted youth in baking cookies, while the youth competed against each other to win golden spatulas.
“It was nice for our Airmen to get out of the kitchen and showcase their talents in a different environment,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Baez, 49th Force Support Squadron Shifting Sands Dining Facility supervisor. “I feel like all the kids had a really great time. They loved making the cookies, and they loved eating the cookies even more.”
The competition started with teams receiving their cookie recipe, then they gathered their baking supplies.
“My favorite part was when all the kids were coming to get their ingredients and they were actually working together,” Airman 1st Class Dominick Bogier, 49th FSS food service apprentice. “There was no arguing, everybody had a job that they were assigned to do by their leader.”
Airmen facilitators assisted the teams with mixing the ingredients and placing the dough on baking sheets.
“My role was facilitator,” said Bogier. “Making sure that they get the right ingredients and that they were putting the right ingredients in. Making sure they are using sugar instead of flour – a lot of them got that mixed up.”
After the cookies were baked, Col. Rashone Tate, 49th Mission Support Group commander, Chief Master Sgt. Bryan Hendricks, 49th MSG superintendent and Chief Master Sgt. Bobby Drayton, 49th FSS superintendent, judged the cookies based on taste, creativity and how they looked.
The youth waited anxiously until the winners were announced. After the judges’ long contemplation, the golden spatulas were awarded to the team Papyrus’s Cookie Corner.
“This was our first time (organizing this competition) and we would like to do it once a quarter,” said Baez. “The event was a great opportunity for the Youth and Teen Center because in previous situations they had to hire somebody to come out. This was completely free for them.”