Sailors quickly followed behind while trying to keep up with the children racing to pick out new winter clothing during a holiday shopping spree at a local department store here Dec. 12.

More than 100 children ages 6 to 12 from Waukegan Township were escorted by Sailors from Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes as well as other members of the community while children picked out new winter coats, hats, shoes and scarves. Afterward, the children and volunteers went to an amusement center to play games and enjoy a pizza party.

"The kids had a lot of fun. Watching them get all of their tickets was pretty cool," said Gunner's Mate 1st Class (EXW) Jay Rio, a Navy Military Training Instructor (NMTI) teaching student indoctrination with TSC.

Waukegan Township, in conjunction with Shawall Temple, has run the holiday shopping spree program for 17 years with each year growing bigger than the last. Partnerships from other organizations, to include Sailors from TSC, allow more and more children to participate in the program.

"With the Navy helping, the kids see who those people in uniform are," said Kim Woods, marketing manager for Waukegan Township. "It's a personal touch to introduce (the children) to patriotism."

The Sailors, along with members of Waukegan Township, Shawall Temple, National Association of University Women, Harbor Lites Links, Top Ladies of Distinction /Top Teens of America North Shore - Chicago Chapter as well as countless members of various sororities and fraternities, volunteered to make this program a success this year.

This is the second year TSC has participated in the shopping spree, but Rio said he hopes it won't be the last.

"I see it as something like a big brothers kind of deal - to be a role model," he said. "You go out there and meet new people and do something that's out of the ordinary."

Rio and the other Sailors are not the only ones who benefit from volunteering. The children and other community volunteers are able to see a different side of the men and women in uniform.

"The children can see that Sailors serve not only across the water but also locally in their community," said Woods.

For more news from Training Support Center, Great Lakes, visit www.navy.mil/.