Travis Team, Beale participate in Viking Challenge 2011

  • Published
  • By by Tech. Sgt. Les Waters
  • 615th Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Twelve-hour relay - long day. Thirty-six teams - 2,768 miles run. Two beneficiaries - peace of mind and comfort. More than 350 service members and civilians from Travis, the local communities and Beale Air Force Base participated in the 2011 Viking Challenge Saturday.

Viking Challenge is a 12-hour relay in which teams of up to ten people continuously run, jog or walk around the base's fitness center track. One member of each team completes one mile before passing the baton to the next team member.

This year's top honors went to the 60th Maintenance Squadron with 105 miles. The 571st Global Mobility Squadron came in second place with 104 miles and the 60th Medical Surgical Operations Squadron rounded out the top three with 102 miles.

"Overall it was a very successful event," said Capt. Matthew Sikkink, 571st Global Mobility Squadron. "The base came together to raise money for a good cause. I was very impressed with the level of participation for the event, especially with it occurring on a Saturday."

The annual event is the largest fundraiser for the Travis Fisher House. The Travis Fisher House, located next to David Grant USAF Medical Center, is a place of quiet respite for the families of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen receiving medical treatment. It is a full service facility (rooms, kitchen, laundry, etc.) designed to accommodate up to seven families or 16 people at a time and provides a comfortable retreat for patient's families.

The Travis Fisher House is one of 43 "homes of comfort" built on military bases by the late philanthropists Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher. They created a foundation to provide military families in need a place to stay without charge when one of their members is hospitalized at DGMC.

Such is the case with the mother of Army Pfc. Daniel Murphy, Michele Maryea. Her son was diagnosed with Arnold-Chiari malformation, which is a condition in which brain tissue protrudes into the spinal canal. It occurs when part of the skull is abnormally small or misshapen, pressing on the brain and forcing it downward.

Maryea's son had surgery Sept. 20 and she thought she was going to have stay in the hospital hallways during his recovery because she had just enough money for the plane ticket, but not enough for hotels.

"I didn't know anyone here and I had never heard of Fisher House," Maryea said. "It is because of the Fisher House and your donations, that I am in a safe place and able to be here with my son. It is with great honor that I am here telling my story today."

Maryea is not the only one currently receiving support from the Fisher House. Tech. Sgt. Jim Davis, 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, was shot in the leg while deployed April 23, 2011 during a rescue in Afghanistan and is recovering at the Travis Fisher House. His wife, Kate, his son, Alex and his daughter, Nadia came from Okinawa and stayed at the Fisher House from May through August to support him.

"The Fisher House has helped in so many ways, especially when it comes to stress, Davis said. "Not having to worry about billeting and where my family was going to stay for nearly four months was a great relief. Can you imagine how much money we were able to save by not staying in hotels or in billeting? All I can say is thank you."

The event is sponsored by the 615th Contingency Response Wing Phoenix Mobility Program, a three-year internship program that introduces top junior officers to the Air Force's contingency response mission. As to date, the Viking Challenge has raised more than $7,100. More donations are expected by the end of October.

The contributions from the base and surrounding communities help lessen the burden for those in the midst of struggle and hardship, offering a soft place to land during a painful time in someone's life. While these families are at the Travis Fisher House, they are "home."

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