Charity Auction-the brats, the spouses and the Air Force need you Published March 3, 2008 By Janie Reinhardt Vandenberg Spouses Club VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- It is almost here--the Vandenberg Spouses Club Annual Charity Auction to raise scholarship money for military dependants and spouses, as well as other worthy causes. It kicks off at 6 p.m. on March 15 at the Pacific Coast Club. We have a ton of awesome stuff to auction off. Let me give you a sample of the items: hotel and entertainment packages, golf, whale watching, fishing excursions, tons of wine and tasting and tours. Theme park and aquarium tickets, museum passes, surf lessons, one tandem sky dive, symphony and theater tickets. Microdermabrasion, professional teeth whitening kit, cooking classes, hair cuts, oil changes, a queen size bedroom suite, framed oil paintings...and much more. It is going to be great. The auctioneer is a ton of fun (and funny!). How can you not go to this event? I got so excited about it just reading that message. But I'd like to take a moment to tell you why this event is so important to me and many other people. I am what they call an "Air Force Brat". My father served in the Air Force for 27 years, my older brother and I spent our childhood's moving from place to place. New schools, new friends, new houses; I am sure this sounds familiar to many of you and I hope that you also share with me a lot of great memories of the adventure of military life. When it was time for my brother to start thinking about going to college, there was not a lot available as far as financial aid. But the Wives' Club at the base my dad was stationed at did offer a scholarship. My brother was a recipient and with that in 1975 he was able to begin school at a community college. He then transferred to a state university, completed undergraduate, went to medical school and after many more years of school and training is now a cardiovascular surgeon. I like to think that the Wives' Club Scholarship was the beginning of something pretty awesome. Now, I have the joy of being what they call an "Air Force Spouse". I continue to move but now it is with my children...new schools, new friends, new house (same song, second verse). But the second verse is greatly improved. Yes, the Spouses Club (appropriately corrected) continues to provide scholarships, but the recipients aren't just high school seniors. The Vandenberg Spouses' Club offers money to those spouses out there looking to begin a college education or obtain a vocational certification. In addition, the VSC pays registration fees of qualified families who sign their children up for soccer, basketball and baseball programs at the Youth Center. Also the VSC supports many base, local and national groups with donations. How is all this accomplished? The Annual Charity Auction, of course. By supporting this event, you support the people of Vandenberg, its surrounding communities and the Air Force family worldwide. Reserve today...the brats, the spouses and the Air Force will thank you for it. Advance tickets are $10. Call 734-5551 or e-mail aguirres@vafb.net. Cost at the door is $15. This event is open to the entire base.