Nine McChord Field Airmen rolled up their 
sleeves and strapped on their work boots as they spent a Saturday morning 
cleaning and restoring a garden at Madrona School Nov. 5 in Seattle.
Madrona School, part of the Seattle Public School system, is a facility that 
educates students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. The school houses a 
learning garden that was overgrown and ineffectual.
"Previously, the flower beds were much larger and didn't allow children the 
freedom to move around and explore," said Farah Thaxton, Medrona School 
principal. "In addition, the garden was so overgrown that it was hard to 
figure out what was there."The Airmen worked for five hours to eliminate all weeds in the garden and cut 
down a tree to allow space for new plants. They built wooden flower boxes, 
planted new shrubbery and sprinkled mulch which created a path for children to 
easily venture through the garden.
"It looks like a completely different garden," said Thaxton. "Our students 
will be so excited about it."
The garden is utilized by more than 100 students over the course of a school 
year. Activities such as the afterschool gardening club, preschool planting 
program and science classes keep the garden a busy place.
"Not only do we teach students how to garden, but they learn how to sustain a 
garden in an urban environment," said Thaxton. "We teach them how to plant, 
grow and then cook their own food."
As the coordinator and representative for the school project, Staff Sgt. 
Steven Seibert, 627th Civil Engineer Squadron, stressed the importance of 
giving back to the community.
"As a military member, often times we receive a lot of appreciation," Seibert 
said. "Giving back to our local community is a high priority. Stepping further 
beyond our local area, to a place like Seattle, is meaningful because they don't 
interact with us as often."
"It feels good to know that a couple hours of work will give these kids a 
whole new place to learn," said Senior Airman Michael Calderon, 8th Airlift 
Squadron loadmaster. "Hopefully we'll be able to come back soon and continue 
to help out."
According to the principal, Madrona School has multiple upcoming projects 
including painting the interior hallways and library. Nine out of nine 
volunteers agree; McChord Field will be happy to provide assistance in the 
future.