Minot woman bakes cookies for airmen
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When, where to drop off cookies
For those wanting to participate in the Team Minot Holiday Cookie Drive, drop off days will be Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 11-12, from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Minot Area Chamber EDC office, 1020 20th Ave. SW.
Since 2009, Tammy Gillmore of Minot has been a passionate participant in the annual cookie drive for airmen at Minot Air Force Base.
"I actually had no idea about this program until a former co-worker asked me if I baked for our service men and women. When I told her I haven't, she brought in the newspaper. I realized this is something easy for me to do. I've been baking every year since."
Dozens of people participate in the Team Minot Holiday Cookie Drive every year and Gillmore is one of the incredibly dedicated community members who continues to go above and beyond, donating entire carloads of cookies.
An avid baker, Gillmore said, "Baking has always been my stress reliever and a way to show people I care. I've always had the people I love the most close to me, and when the holidays roll around, we are all able to gather together. Our service men and women don't have the option of being with their family during the holidays. Getting homemade cookies from the community is not only a way for them to have a little taste of home, but a way to show them we care."
The collected cookies from the base and community are distributed to the nearly 1,200 first-term airmen between the ages of 18-20 who live in the dorms at Minot AFB. These airmen are required to live in the dorms and it could be the first time they have been away from their families for the holidays.
Looking back, Gillmore's favorite memory was the very first time she dropped off her donation.
"I remember coming in and asking where they would like my cookies. Their response was to place it on the table in the doorway. When I said the table wouldn't be big enough for what I brought, they followed me out to my car almost like they couldn't believe me. The moment they saw everything their faces went from disbelief to utter shock. Now, when I come in, they usually grab the key to the donation trailer and just start loading it in there."
Though she bakes so many cookies, Gillmore does her best to keep her recipes fresh.
"To me the most enjoyable part is getting to try new cookies each year. My family all have their favorites and so getting to try my hand at something new with zero complaints is refreshing and fun," she said.
When asked if Gillmore had a message to others considering participating in community initiatives like this, she conveyed, "Baking a few cookies to share with our service men and women is what the holiday season is all about. No one is asking you to make dozens and dozens of cookies, but if you can spare a few, even from multiple batches to help spread a little holiday joy, I promise you won't regret it."
"We are so grateful for a tremendously supportive community that donates baked goods to Team Minot airmen year after year," said Col Daniel Hoadley, commander of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB. "Many of our airmen will be spending their first holiday season away from home. This time-honored tradition brings a little homemade cheer to their holiday and it's a tangible reminder to them that they're surrounded by a community that cares."
"The people of Minot provide unrivaled support to our airmen through traditions like the cookie drive," said Col Kenneth McGhee, commander of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB. "These cookies are donated to airmen in the dorms, but they are also shared with our airmen defending the nation 24/7 in the missile field. It is a simple and heartfelt gesture that reminds us why we do what we do."
“Whenever you make cookies to gift to someone, a bit of love goes into the recipe," said Tom Rafferty, chair of the Military Affairs Committee. "That's why I like the Minot Air Force Base cookie drive. There’s so many people involved, making their special cookies. They’re making cookies for people they don’t know, but who they value and appreciate and care about. We know it is hard to be so far from home during the holidays and this is just one way to say thank you to the men and women of Minot Air Force Base."