Personnel from RAF Marham have visited children at three hospitals this week to deliver Easter eggs.
In November Senior Aircraftman (SAC) Rick Bowers came up with the idea of donating 100 Easter Eggs to children in local hospitals as part of the RAF100 centenary celebrations.
But there are various hospitals in the local area so SAC Bowers didn't want to stop at just the nearest hospital. So he chose the children's wards at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn and Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
He and his colleague Flt Sgt Chris King then set about collecting the 300 Easter eggs that they would need to achieve their aim. They appealed to the generosity of the personnel of RAF Marham and their families as well as approaching some companies for sponsorship. Promotional posters were created, collection points were located in key points across the station and in just three weeks 428 eggs were donated, 128 more than they were aiming for.
Now SAC Bowers and a small team of volunteers have been to deliver the eggs. They were humbled by the strength and bravery of the children and families they met. Some of the children were very ill, yet they were delighted to see SAC Bowers and his team and asked them lots of questions about what they do. Various RAF items were taken with the team for the children to see and try on for themselves, and for those who were well enough there was a short trip outside to see the truck that had delivered the eggs to them.
SAC Bowers said: 'From a personal point of view it was an absolute privilege to meet so many brave children and parents alike. To be able to put smiles on so many faces when they are facing such difficult times is very heart-warming.'
Station Warrant Officer Susan Magee, who represented all station personnel at the deliveries, said: 'It was an honour to have this opportunity to visit some of the younger members of our community and their families and to be able to bring a little bit of joy to them at what is a difficult time.
'As the Royal Air Force centenary falls on Easter Sunday this has been a heart-warming way to include the local community in our celebrations at the very start of our centenary year.'
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