9th annual Snowball Express treats military families

A special group of military families are being treated to an all-expense-paid journey to Dallas for the ninth annual Snowball Express.

Children and spouses of military heroes who have died while on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, boarded the American Airlines flight at Colorado Springs airport Thursday afternoon.

“To see these kids come together, just let down their guard and have a great weekend and just be honored as they should be is just an amazing experience,” said Deborah Manzanares, a peer mentor with the group TAPS, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.

Gate 5 at the airport was transformed into a winter wonderland, with visits from Santa Claus and Sox the Fox. Kids played games and bonded with each other before the flight.

Victoria Hecker, 16, said she was excited for her eighth time on the Snowball Express. Her father died while serving in Iraq.

“I was in, I think, second grade whenever he passed away,” Hecker said. “So I don’t have many holiday memories of him.”

Victoria’s mother, Richelle, said she was glad her kids would get the chance to have joy during the holidays.

“This is a very stressful time of year,” she said. “He left the day after Thanksgiving — that was his deployment date. He was killed in January so this is really a grieving season for us.”

American Airlines is providing the majority of the air travel, and all flight crews are donating their time to participate. Ten chartered American aircraft will depart from 10 cities to pick up families across the country.

About 1,800 families are expected to gather in Dallas for a fun-filled weekend.