MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- While friction often marks the relationship between property managers and their tenants, residents at Deluz housing are crowing delightfully about their landlord's recent goodwill gesture.
More than 150 Deluz residents have called or stopped by to thank Hunt Building Corporation for feeding and entertaining more than 400 Deluz residents at a carnival April 5 in the housing office parking lot, said Linda Prestridge, the lead property manager for Hunt.
The carnival, which included contributions from a handful of off-base companies looking to show support for the military during wartime, treated more than 400 residents to 725 hot dogs and 1,000 cotton candies, Prestridge said.
"We support our troops and take care of their families in any way we can - while they're gone and when they come home," Prestridge said. "Our kids and families are important, and I want the troops to know that we are taking care of them while they do their job."
After Hunt came up with the idea of a carnival, customer service representative Delores Candelaria presented the idea to military spouses.
"Let's do something for the kids," she reportedly said to about 60 members of the Deployed Spouses Support Group, which meets once a week in Deluz housing. "April is the Month of the Military Child, so why don't we come up with something to do.
"The next day, I picked up the phone book, started researching and made several phone calls to different places," Candelaria said.
Fallbrook Amusements donated a merry-go-round, swings, air house, mini-train and "kiddie kopters," she said.
"I think these kids need some support when their parents are away," said John Becker, co-owner of the amusement company. "It was the least our company could do with all that's going on."
Another amusement company, Bakersfield-based TCI, contributed the popcorn, snow cones, cotton candy and other snacks.
"It was refreshing. This was a cool event," said Dahiana M. Aguilar, a Deluz resident. "We all needed something to take our minds off the war."
The Escondido Petting Zoo provided small animals for children to enjoy.
"The zoo brought a duck with a bad hair day," laughed Prestridge, "a chicken, about four rabbits, a pot-bellied pig and a pregnant goat."
Karaoke also was in the mix. A patriotic preschooler highlighted the lineup of crooners.
"We had a 4-year-old little girl who jumped up on the stage and belted out the Marine Corps Hymn word for word," Prestridge said.
"It was amazing. She had the crowd in tears."
Children and adults wrote on banners that stretched across three tables. The banners proclaimed "We Support Our Troops."
After the event, Girl Scout troops 1490 and 1161 cleaned up to show their support for America's warfighters.
Hunt is building 700 new homes and managing them as part of a Private/Public Venture program to switch the Department of Defense from government to civilian housing management.
Prestridge said the company threw the carnival not for public-relations mileage, but merely to give the community a break.
"It wasn't done to advertise for Deluz housing," said Hunt, whose company took over the Mainside neighborhood in November 2000. "I wanted the kids to have a day to smile and forget about what was going on elsewhere. It was a lot of hard work, but the satisfaction was incredible."