Spouse Power! Ramstein Welfare Bazaar

Ramstein Welfare Bazaar

September 18-21, 2014

Ramstein AB, Germany

There are many long-standing traditions in military spouse clubs and organizations. For years, we've always hosted coffees and socials, operated thrift shops and raised money to help out our fellow military families. However, for one spouse club, their long-standing tradition has turned into a European-wide event rather than spouse ritual on the calendar. It's the Ramstein Welfare Bazaar. For the last 50 years, the Ramstein Officer Spouses Club (ROSC) has sponsored this amazing community experience. The Ramstein Welfare Bazaar has been a part of the military culture for those stationed in Europe since 1965. If you've ever been assigned to a base or post in Germany, Belgium, England, Italy or somewhere else in Europe, chances are you've attended or at least heard of this shopping extravaganza. The first Ramstein Welfare Bazaar was held on Sept. 18-20, 1965 at the Ramstein Community Center. The Ramstein Officers' Wives Club (now called ROSC), a small and close group of women, hosted this inaugural event. They had 66 vendors, 11 volunteers and made $5,000 in net proceeds. Fast-forward 50 years, the Bazaar is now a massive, full-scale event that encompasses the resources and commitment of the Ramstein Air Base, the surrounding local Kaiserslautern economy and the military community. In 2013, the ROSC had over 36,600 shoppers, parked 8,800 cars and grossed $1.76 million in sales. The event is hosted by the 86th Force Support Squadron and produced by the ROSC. There were 135 vendors that sold items such as antiques, pottery, cheese, grandfather clocks, clothing, jewelry and food. The food court was manned entirely by Airmen and family volunteers from private organizations. The best part is the entire even was supported with all volunteers; 11,582 volunteers hours. That includes over 7,000 hours from the Bazaar Committee, 2,000 volunteer hours during the event and 2,513 hours of volunteer time from private organizations. Vendors from countries such as Russia, France, Poland, Portugal, Turkey and, of course, Germany travel to the Bazaar to showcase their hand crafted items and products. Glenda Young, Bazaar Chairperson for the ROSC, believes there is a special connection between the ROSC and the vendors who travel to Ramstein every year. "Some of our vendors have been partners with us for 40 years. We have one vendor, Giuseppe Scala and his family has been one of our wine vendors since 1975. When he passed away, his daughter continued the family tradition of showcasing their wines at our Bazaar. We look forward to seeing our vendors every year, they are like family." Celebrating the 50 th Bazaar is truly a labor of love. The ROSC is expecting larger crowds over the four-day event, more vendors than ever before and special events and products commemorating this magical milestone. It's big deal, especially when you understand it's all organized and supported by volunteers - the military spouse community. Giving Back and Paying It Forward Most military spouse clubs can only dream of producing a fundraiser that rakes in $1.76 million dollars in revenue. After the bills are paid, the spouse clubs tally's more than a quarter of million dollars in profit. Just like the event itself, the ROSC spends its profits on the community that supports them. Young says, "Last year's Bazaar raised $288,000 toward support activities for single Airmen, wounded warriors, deployed members returning from combat, as well as youth activities such as scouting, sports and academic clubs. Additionally, we partner with the Ramstein Enlisted Spouses' Association and Kaiserslautern Landstuhl Spouses' Association every spring to award scholarships to students and spouses pursuing higher education." To really understand the impact the event and the military spouses who run it has on the community, you need to see the numbers yourself. This past year (and every year) they make a difference in the lives of others. In the 2013-2014, the ROSC gave away: $90,214 to the local DoDEA's schools, $60,000 in scholarships to individuals, $56,340 to community organizations, $21,499 to national organizations, $29,000 supporting base programs, $17,964 supporting youth programs and $9,162 directly to scout programs. And that's just one year. The ROSC also has a special secret giving program that is offered every spring called Pay It Forward. Monica Alvidrez, 2 nd Vice President, ROSC says it's a program designed to say thank you. "The mission of the ROSC Pay it Forward is to thank the community for their support through the year. By offering small tokens of appreciation such as Commissary gift cards, movie tickets and water bottles (just to name a few) is an easy way to brighten the day of so many. Seeing someone walk away with a smile on their face, a pep in their step, or even a sigh of relief brings a since of community and pride knowing that we are supporting our own in and around Ramstein AB and the KMCC area (local area)." The Bazaar The Didn't Happen There has been only one year since 1965 that the Ramstein Welfare Bazaar was cancelled - September 2001. Beth Osborne, President of the ROSC, 2001-02 recounts the moment that changed everything for the ROSC that year. "As September arrived, the committee and ROSC members began regular bazaar preparations. Taking over the two hangers and that portion of the flight line - putting that famous "bazaar touch" on the hangers, setting up the business office, chalking the floors, placing the correct number of fest tables/benches in the proper vendor spaces, creating a welcoming hospitality room, having tents pitched for the additional vendor tent, AAFES tent, food vendors, port-a-potties and trash bins all in their places, volunteer sign-up ready, even the gate check-in area was finished. It was all complete. We closed-up the hangers Tuesday afternoon September 11 ready for vendors to arrive the following morning for vendor check-in and set-up. Many of us headed to the Intermediate School for Open House on base. I was standing in the Intermediate School auditorium on the phone with my oldest son who was checking in to let me know he was home when the second plane hit. I think every beeper and cell phone went off instantly. I will never forget the sounds and response of our spouses and all military members rushing back to work. That moment is when the 2001 Bazaar ceased to exist. It seems strange now to think there was ever a moment that we didn't immediately recognize this outcome. Maybe we did. But after you give so much of yourself to something so important to community and our tradition, it is certainly difficult to let it go." Spouse Power The impact of the ROSC financial support of military community is jaw dropping. It's the pinnacle of what most spouse clubs hope to achieve. They have given more than a million dollars back our children, our Airmen, Soldiers and Sailors, and our community. But the meaning behind the Bazaar is more than the financial impact, it's about the impact military spouses have when then we come together. It's about tradition, it's about commitment and strength, it's about leadership and it's about supporting the military family. The event takes months to plan and organize, all spearheaded by military spouses (just like us) volunteering their time and skills for something bigger than themselves. Our hats are off to the ROSC members (and all past ROSC members) for keeping an important event alive and churning. Thank you for making an enormous impact our military community living abroad. You are the best example of Spouse Power - the power of military spouses when we unite for a common cause. Congratulations on 50 years of success!