Pre-Deployment Fair for base families Jan. 31

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Base Airmen and their families preparing for the rigors of deployment separation are invited to a Pre-Deployment Fair to be held Saturday, Jan. 31 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Chapel Family Life Center here.

The Airman and Family Readiness Center teams with other base helping agencies and community sponsors to host the event, designed to be a fun and informative activity to help families prepare for and relieve the stress of upcoming deployments, said Master Sgt. James Tyus, non-commissioned officer in charge of Airman & Family Readiness with the 88th Mission Support Squadron.

Activities for children including Build-A-Bear creations, face painting and craft projects are planned. The Dayton Dragons baseball team's mascot, Heater is a planned special guest. Veterans of Foreign Wars Ohio District 3 will serve lunch and refreshments to those families who attend. Personnel from Wright-Patterson's Integrated Delivery System, a collection of support agencies ranging from the American Red Cross to the Health & Wellness Center, will man information booths and provide literature. A number of donated gifts and door prizes will also be presented.

"Deployments can be very stressful times for our Airmen and their families. We're here to serve them by sharing information on how to cope at an event that's fun for everyone," Tyus said.

This event is for families of base Airmen who recently deployed or are about to deploy and is not open to the general public. It was originally slated to take place Jan. 10, but icy roads forced postponement to the new date. The Chapel Family Life Center is located in the Prairies at Wright Field Housing Area behind Chapel 3 on 682 Chapel Lane.