|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The field at Theuerkauf and Stevenson elementary schools is normally a place where kids take P.E. classes and play with friends during recess, but on Friday it served as a landing pad for a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.
The helicopter landed on campus as part of a special school event on April 25, with students getting the opportunity to climb on board and explore the military aircraft.
Rodrigo Llanos, a Theuerkauf and Stevenson dad who serves as an aviation maintenance technician in the U.S. Coast Guard, had the idea of bringing a helicopter to campus and worked with school officials to make it happen.
He and two other crew members flew down from San Francisco International Airport and landed on the school field on Friday afternoon. Theuerkauf and Stevenson’s campuses are adjacent and share a large grass field.
Llanos said that he hoped the event would expose more kids to the Coast Guard and its work, as well as to aviation in general.
A student explores the inside of the helicopter. Photo by Zoe Morgan. 
Students and their families queue up for their chance to hop on board the helicopter. Photo by Zoe Morgan. 
A parent takes a photo as kids explore the helicopter. Photo by Zoe Morgan. 
Mountain View police officers pose for a photo next to the helicopter. Photo by Zoe Morgan.
“As an immigrant, I never thought I would be doing this, but this is probably the best thing I could have ever done with my life,” Llanos said of his military service.
Wet weather on Friday didn’t dampen kids’ excitement as they queued up next to the helicopter for their chance to climb on board and sit in the cockpit. Llanos and his two fellow crew members helped kids get into and out of the helicopter, answered their questions and posed for photos.
When kindergartener Alexander finished exploring the inside of the helicopter, he was full of excitement – and a lot of questions: What do all the lights do? Why do the Coast Guard members wear green? How does the rescue basket work?
One of the pilots helped answer these questions, showing Alexander different parts of the aircraft. For Alexander, the coolest part was the military roundel on the side of the helicopter.
Cesar Delgadillo’s son Mateo got a chance to take a look at the helicopter and pose for photos with Llanos. Delgadillo said it was awesome that the kids got to see the helicopter up close.
“It’s really cool they’re able to touch it, go inside,” Delgadillo said. “I didn’t go inside myself, but I wanted to.”
Theuerkauf arranged with Llanos to bring the helicopter to campus as part of the school’s Día Del Niño celebration. The annual event at the school celebrates Children’s Day, a holiday recognizing kids that is observed on April 30 in Mexico.
There was a talent show in the school’s cafeteria, free goodie bags for kids and additional food available to purchase. Representatives from the police and fire departments attended the event, as well as staff from local organizations like the Community Services Agency and volunteers from other local schools.
Lisset Téllez Garduño, who works as Theuerkauf’s school and community engagement facilitator, helped to organize the event. In her role, Téllez Garduño acts as a liaison with families and connects them with various resources in the community.
The annual Día Del Niño event is a chance for families to come on campus and celebrate together with their kids, she said.
“We want to celebrate the kids, how wonderful they are and everything that they mean to our community,” Téllez Garduño said.
