MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Lincoln Military Housing brought the wild world of the jungle and its inhabitants to service members and their families during the Spring Carnival at Lake O’Neil, April 18.
The children and parents of the five communities associated with Lincoln Military Housing were invited to the annual spring carnival; every year is a different theme, this year’s theme being safari. Families were offered many activities including face paintings, rock walls to climb, an animal show, moon walks, and food to help bring in the joy of the new season.
“This is great, I can’t believe how much effort our community has put into this carnival, my family and I love coming to events like this,” said Amanda C. Gann, military spouse. “It really shows how much Camp Pendleton cares for the families living here.”
An estimated $100,000 was spent on food, drinks and supplies in order to put this celebration together for the communities of Lincoln Military Housing. Organizers also had to bring together Lincoln’s five district offices to work at the carnival and manage the parking. In addition, Lincoln hired Picnic People to work the event as team coordinators, trash removers, carnival booth workers, train operators, jumpy operators and supervisors, climbing wall, face painting artists, concession stands and employees to help set up the rock walls, moon walks, and stage for the animal display.
“The team I have working with me is wonderful, they work real hard to get events like this one off the ground,” said Kathy G. Carlson, regional property manager, Lincoln Military Housing, Camp Pendleton. “The carnival could not have happened unless I had this team.”
Along with the many activities parents and children could do at the carnival, most of the families were drawn in by the animal show provided by Wild Wonders Inc. Spectators were allowed to get close up and personal with the animals. Wild Wonders Inc. also hosted multiple educational animal shows including an alligator, armadillo, kinkajou, hedgehog, tree frogs, hissing cockroaches, and an albino tree snake.
“My daughter loved it, this was so much better than going to the zoo, at first I was kind of scared, but I soon realized that the animal handlers knew what they were doing,” said Gann.
Families that attended the carnival were also entered in a raffle to win prizes including three 42” Plasma TV’s, two Blue Ray DVD players, six Nintendo Wiis, four iPod Touches and several gift cards to Wal-Mart, Toys-r-Us and Target.
All food, giveaways and activities were provided at no cost to the community.
“Lincoln Military Housing hosts these events annually to express our deep appreciation for our service members and their families,” Carlson said. “It is an honor to serve them in their housing needs.”