A cobblestone castle, constructed of cardboard, towered above the check-in area.
Jennifer Lindley and her daughter, Gabrielle, walked together through the make-believe structure, boarding an American Airlines flight to Dallas.
For the next five days, they were treated like royalty – for real.
“I have never been around a group of people who have given their all like that,” Jennifer said. “That’s what moved me – how they pulled out all the stops. It was first-class all the way.”
The Lindley’s flew to Texas to participate in Snowball Express, an all-volunteer program launched in 2006 to provide hope and memories to children who have lost parents serving in the military, post-Sept. 11, 2001.
Gabrielle’s father, Timothy French, paid that ultimate sacrifice on Oct. 20, 2002.
Thirty-four family members from across the state joined the Lindley’s for the five-day trip to Dallas, where they visited the new billion-dollar Cowboys stadium in Arlington, received a personal address from First Lady Michelle Obama at the Dallas Convention Center, and attended a Dallas Mavericks basketball game, among others.
There were concerts, conversations and the weekend bubbled with camaraderie.
Jennifer remembers the seemingly permanent smile on Gabrielle’s face as well as the time and effort each of the volunteers put forth to make the event the best it could be.
“It’s really gratifying to know there are organizations there to put smiles on their faces,” Jennifer said, referring to the children who joined Gabrielle, 13, a Ridgetop Junior High School student. “It was an experience of a lifetime. The kids were just being kids.”
More than 1,300 families participated in Snowball Express, which Jennifer said catered to the children like no program in which she’s ever participated.
The highlight, she added, was watching a 2-mile-long convoy of motorcycles and buses – led by the North Texas Patriot Guard Riders – roll down the highway in honor of the fallen heroes and surviving family members.
“It’s a huge massive effort to coordinate all those efforts,” Lindley said, thanking the guard riders. “It’s so unbelievable how a program like Snowball can make you feel.”
