27 SOAMXS booster club volunteers at Hillcrest Park Zoo Published Aug. 26, 2013 By Senior Airman Ericka Engblom 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Hammers pounded, boards creaked and sweat dripped as members of the 27th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Booster Club preformed upkeep Aug. 16, at the Hillcrest Park Zoo in Clovis, N.M. Since July, when the 27 SOAMXS became responsible for the effort, volunteers from the booster club have spent several Saturdays beautifying and improving Hillcrest Park Zoo. During their visits, members have performed renovation of buildings, painted zoo structures and cleaned the animal's enclosures. More than 130 volunteers have put their best hand forward in trying to make the zoo a more pleasant place for the community. "The best part of volunteering is the aftermath," said Louise Kemper, 27 SOAMXS unit program coordinator. "We get to come enjoy the zoo and see the fruits of our labor." The Hillcrest Park Zoo was established in 1930 with one bear and one coyote and has since grown to be one of the largest in the state, second only to the one in Albuquerque, N.M. Located on the 140 acres that make up Hillcrest Park, the zoo is an attraction for tourists and locals alike. The 27 SOAMXS booster club's efforts have helped improve the park by upgrading older structures and providing extra hands for needed cleaning duties. They have also been responsible for some of the recent landscaping that the zoo has undergone by planting flowers near the front entrance and throughout the park. The booster club volunteers plan to continue working at the zoo for as long as they are needed. "Our relationships with the community are incredibly important," said Senior Master Sgt. Eric Corvin, 27 SOAMXS superintendent. "We are proud to put something positive back into it."