USS RONALD REAGAN HOST COMMITTEE ANNOUNCE GALA EVENT

Navy League of The United States - Santa Barbara Chapter

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Operation Homefront

Ronald Reagan CPO Selects Support
Environmental Education Program

FOR RELEASE: 9/17/2007

From USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs

USS RONALD REAGAN, Lakeside, CA -- SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Chief selectees from USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) continued their reputation as leaders in San Diego area community service Sept. 14, spending the day cleaning up and making improvements to Huck-Fin Lake in Lakeside.

More than 30 volunteers from Ronald Reagan helped pick up trash, cut down weeds and remove debris from the lake that is the foundation of the Huck-Fin Environmental Education Program.

The program, which has been operating for more than 25 years in San Diego County schools, consists of classroom instruction on conservation and environmental awareness as well as deep sea fishing and fishing trips to the lake.

“Over 2,000 students participate in the program each year and the program gets bigger and better each year thanks to the efforts of volunteers like these Sailors,” said David Gray, the founder and current president of the Huck-Fin Environmental Education Program. “Huck-Fin teaches conservation and concern for the environment in school and then the students are allowed to fish.”

According to Gray, a recent drought in the area has lowered the water level in the lake, allowing many improvement projects to take place. Gray said he was extremely thankful for the group of chief selectees and the amount of work they were able to accomplish in a single day.

“The best experience is when you come out there with kids who have never fished before and watch them catch their first fish,” said Chief Aviation Support Equipment Technician (AW/SW) Edmond Farrington, who organized the community service project for Ronald Reagan Sailors.

Farrington, who has been volunteering with the program since 2001, said he hoped the project helped show the group of chief selects the importance of volunteer community service.

“The Huck-Fin Program is run entirely by donations,” said Farrington. “This program doesn't receive the attention that some of the national volunteer service programs receive, so our work out here is extremely important.”

Chief selectees said the most difficult project of the day was removing an old fiberglass boat that had sunk to the bottom of the lake and become embedded in the lakebed. The receding water line now enabled the boat, which had become an eyesore, to be removed from the lake.

“Today's project helped to bring us all together,” said Personnel Specialist (SW/AW) Rodolfo Espino, one of the chief selects who volunteered for the project. “Working together as a team allows us to accomplish a lot of things in a short period of time.”

Other volunteers said they had similar thoughts on the community service project.

“We're out her to show that the military and the Navy are concerned about our community,” said Storekeeper 1st Class (SW/AW) Mary Nunez, another chief select who volunteered for the project. “We want to build good relationships in the community and help people in need.”

Ronald Reagan is currently undergoing a planned incremental availability in her homeport of San Diego following a three-month surge deployment in support of operations in the Western Pacific.

For related news, visit the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cvn76/.