MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- From now until Oct. 15, food, dancing and storytelling will paint a celebratory picture across McChord as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

The month-long celebration kicked off Tuesday with a bilingual book reading at the Child Development Center, which continues each Tuesday and Thursday until Oct. 15. The celebration also includes a food sampling today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chapel Support Center. 

"We wanted to make the events visible and accessible so everyone on the base could partake in the festivities and enjoy them," said Capt. Maria Gomez-Herbert, 62nd
Medical Squadron, one of the many organizers of the series of events. "We couldn't have done it without all the great volunteers on the committee. Everybody contributed something to make it great." 

The food sampling features catered Latin American food from local restaurants -- including the serving of pupusas, hand-made corn biscuit-like flat bread made using a maize flour dough used in Latin American cuisine -- as well as other samples made by volunteers. 

There will also be various posters of different Latin countries and a display on the history of Hispanic Heritage Month, said Staff Sgt. Rachel Sabathne, 62nd Maintenance Operation Squadron. 

"It's a chance for everyone to get a better understanding of the different cultures that will be represented," Sergeant Sabathne said. "I got involved because I wanted to be part of something that was different from my culture." 

From 1 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 24, Airman 1st Class Jared Brzostek, 62nd MOS, will host story time at the base library, highlighting a host of bilingual books the staff has picked out for the month-long observation. 

On Oct. 2 as part of First Friday at the McChord Clubs and Community Center, the Heritage Room will be decked out in Latin flair and a Zumba instructor will host a fitness class, which gives people the chance to learn basic salsa dance moves while getting a good cardiovascular workout. 

Hispanic Heritage Month will close out Oct. 15 with a commemorative brick laying at 3 p.m. at Memorial Grove. 

Despite the heavy operations tempo and the Operational Readiness Inspection preparation, Captain Gomez-Herbert said the committee worked hard to keep the events simple so as many people as possible could enjoy them. 

"We want folks to be able to enjoy a little taste of culture without having to scramble their schedule," she said. "I think we've put together a combination of events that really makes that a possibility and enables everyone to get out of the office for a minute or two and do something different."