Mayor Park Sang-don makes cakes with children at Ikseonwon Orphanage in Cheonan, South Korea, on Dec. 23, 2023. (Christopher Green/Stars and Stripes)

CHEONAN, South Korea — Yellow cake, white frosting and red strawberries provided the holiday decor at an orphanage in this city as December drew to a close. 

Volunteers from Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. military base overseas, visited Ikseonwon Orphanage in Cheonan, 15 miles away, to deliver Christmas gifts and the season’s cheer. 

“I think it’s an important time of the year,” said Army Cpl. Akebo Baston, an air traffic controller, of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. “And I think me being here and bringing joy to these kids, giving gifts, building cakes with them, it really cements a special feeling for this time of year.” 

Volunteers from Camp Humphreys visited children at the Ikseonwon Orphanage in Cheonan, South Korea, on Dec, 23, 2023. ()

A child makes a cake with volunteers from Camp Humphreys at Ikseonwon Orphanage in Cheonan, South Korea, on Dec. 23, 2023. ()

Baston and about 40 other volunteers spent Dec. 23 with about 50 children making three-tiered cakes and handing out red, white, and green stockings stuffed with toys and candy. 

Faces were smeared with frosting as the children topped off their creations with strawberries. Once the cakes were complete, the volunteers tried their hands at making gangjeong, a traditional Korean rice snack. 

Cheonan City and the Korea Tourism Organization sponsored the event; Mayor Park Sang-don of Cheonan where Humphreys is located, was among the participants. It was the first event of its kind that Humphreys volunteers have taken part in since the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the children beamed, Min Tae-o, the Ikseonwon Orphanage director, said that if they’re smilling, the event is a success.