Cookie Caper brings the goodies

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kia Atkins
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
The smell of 31,800 cookies emanated from the Misawa Club Complex as Cookie Caper volunteers packaged up cookies to be delivered to single, unaccompanied service members by their first sergeants, Dec. 11, 2012.

"I think the Cookie Caper is great," said Senior Master Sgt. Randy Farless, 35th Security Forces Squadron first sergeant. "It gives the single, unaccompanied service members at Misawa a taste of home. It's like a thank you for the sacrifices they make the whole year."

With help from the Defense Commissary Agency, the cookie baking process was streamlined as they opened their doors to Cookie Caper volunteers to use their ovens to bake as many cookies as they could in a day.

"The agreement was that participants needed to come with their cookie dough prepared and we would provide the work space, tables, baking sheets and of course the oven," said Matthew Whittaker, Defense Commissary Agency commissary officer. "Three groups signed up for a three hour time slot, and they came over with tons of homemade cookie dough and were prepared to crank out some cookies."

And crank out cookies they did. At the commissary alone, volunteers baked 1,968 cookies, which added to the base's total of 31,800 cookies.

"The holidays are such a family-oriented time of year and it's hard being so far away from home, so I think this is one small way for us to come together and be a big family and spread the holiday cheer," said Terri Laurent, Cookie Caper chairperson.