Academy Spirit News- Parents’ ‘Spirit Mission’

By Butch Wehry
Academy Spirit staff

“My son is the photo editor of the
Polaris, and he still doesn’t know what’s
coming,” wrote 2009 mom Mrs. Carol
Bauer from Littleton, Colo., earlier this
month. “And we hope to keep it that
way.”

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It was the “Spirit Mission” by cadet
parents, intent on setting a new precedent
and tradition.
Fifteen Colorado parents formed
Tuesday for “Parent Spirit Mission” to
unite their cadet class, themselves and
the Academy community.
“The Spirit mission was about the
09 parents coming together to congratulate
their cadets for finishing their first
year at the Academy,” said Ms. Lori
Tomkewitz.
“The best email for me was from one
of our moms currently serving in Iraq.
With everything going on in her world,
it was important that she connect with
her cadet through this mission,” she
said.
That sparked an idea among 09
parents. A plan was hatched. Emails
flitted across the globe soliciting small
donations to buy silver M&M candies
bearing “09-Our Time” for the freshman
class.
More than 1,200 tins of chocolate
went to the Class of 2009 at a 12:30
p.m. briefing Tuesday, just in time for
finals week.
Mrs. Lori Tomkewitz from San
Antonio, Texas; Ms.Vivian Eicholt,
Pueblo, Colo; Ms. Connie Beene, Evans,
Ga.; Ms. Jenny Gibbs, Baltimore, Md.;
Ms. Monica Slikker, Bakersfield, Calif.,
and Mrs. Bauer orchestrated an effort that
would make military strategists blush.
It went well beyond a sweet treat for
the freshmen.
There’s a special fund for emergency
transportation to attend services
if a classmate dies or must go home
when a family faces crisis.
So on Tuesday, more than $2,000
went to the Dennis P. Rando Cadet
Humanitarian Fund in the name of the
Class of 2009.