EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Volunteers from Holloman Air Force Base contributed more than 2,500 hours, totaling savings of about $88,000 in labor costs doing revitalization and restoratoin projects during the past month.
The volunteer push came during what is being called the 2025 Casa Big Give campaign and was supported by the Casa Auto Group.
Volunteers from 16 teams, comprised of airmen, civilians, family members and retirees, participated.
The campaign provided both hands-on help and financial support to local organizations, helping them reduce their operational costs while forging a stronger bond between the Air Force base and the community, a news release from Holloman said.
“I’m incredibly proud to see how the airmen of Team Holloman embraced the 2025 Casa Big Give. What these teams accomplished wasn’t just physical labor; it was a testament to our culture of innovation, teamwork and genuine commitment to our community,” Col. John Ethridge, 49th Wing commander, said. “The partnership with the Casa Big Give team and the support from local leaders demonstrates what we can accomplish when we work together.”
Their efforts ranged from painting local businesses and improving forest recreation sites, to rehabilitating animal shelters and renovating a center for the homeless.
Since its inception, the Big Give has generated over 150,000 volunteer hours and more than $2.2 million in saved or donated value for the surrounding community, Holloman Air Force Base said.
The Ghost Warriors from the 29th Attack Squadron were the large team winner and received $7,500. They contributed over 500 volunteer hours and donated an estimated $28,000 in time and materials.
The Ghost Warriors helped to build a new education center for the Alameda Park Zoo in Alamogordo.
In addition, while working on their project, airmen responded to a nearby car crash and rendered aid to the crash victims until first responders arrived on scene. Their heroic actions were recognized Aug. 12 by Alamogordo Mayor Susan Payne.
The small team winner received $2,500. This team, from the 49th Maintenance Operations (“Who Runs the Show”), completed lanscaping, stucco repair and painting for the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post. They contributed 140 volunteer hours and saved the organization about $6,000.
The People’s Choice award ($1,000) went to the “16 TRS Savages” (16th Training Squadron) for completing a improvements to sites on the Lincoln National Forest and flood clean-up at Two Rivers Park in Ruidoso. Their 230 volunteer hours saved the U.S. Forest Service roughly one month of labor and $4,000.
“The airmen from Holloman donate their time and resources to the community to improve the projects they pick,” said Brandon Burling, Casa Auto Group general manager. “They also develop friendships with the people of the projects they’re working on; more often than not, we see people stay in contact with those people for years and continue to work on those projects long after the Big Give has ended.”
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