Forty-two travelers feasted on pizza, chocolate-dipped strawberries and rainbow-sprinkled cupcakes Friday as they waited for a plane to take them to a theme park.The trip was free.The price of admission was unimaginable.All were spouses and children of fallen American service members.The group departed Colorado Springs on the Snowball Express Friday afternoon and met up with 1,700 other Gold Star family members in Dallas.Over the next few days they’ll be treated to a visit to Six Flags Over Texas and will attend a private concert by “CSI” actor Gary Sinise’s Lt. Dan Band. The trip is sponsored by a variety of firms, charities and donors, including American Airlines.Among those on the flight was Air Force widow Gloria Baker and her sons — Lane, Chase and Rhett.Her husband, Master Sgt. Kyle Baker, committed suicide in 2010. A nine-month tour to Afghanistan left the Peterson Air Force-based medic with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder that he was never able to conquer, his widow said.The Baker family joined a Snowball Express trip last year. Seeing the kids make new, happy memories and bond with other children dealing with loss thrilled her.“The kids loved it,” she said. “They met friends that they’ve kept in contact with all year. That made me very, very happy.”Lane, 14, said he was looking forward to seeing friends he made last year and hanging out with other teens.“Everyone’s here because they actually care,” he said of the volunteers who had turned the Colorado Springs terminal into a holiday party complete with dangling silver snowflakes, Christmas lights and balloon animals.Also waiting for the Snowball Express were Abigail Lane and her children — Nyome, 13, Krystle, 11, and Annjela, 9.Her husband, Army 1st Sgt. Christopher Lane, died in 2011 after a short battle with a rare cancer that may have been service connected, she said.Christopher Lane was always doing things like camping and biking with his girls.“Now, all of the sudden, it’s done,” she said. “He’s not here anymore. They miss him dearly.”Since her husband’s death, Abigail Lane has been on a quest to keep her girls just as busy as he kept them.The Snowball Express trip will help.“It will be nice to have a little bit of time to relax and not think too much about other things,” she said.Fort Carson’s commanding general, Maj. Gen. Joe Anderson, showed up to greet Snowball Express travelers.“No one can understand their sacrifice,” he said. “It gets lonely. We strive to make sure that they haven’t been forgotten.”

The Sky Sox fox, Torie Heckler, 14, and Autumn Kierstead, 11, look out at the American Airlines Snowball Express at the Colorado Springs Airport that is taking kids of soldiers killed in action to a weekend of fun in Houston Friday, November 30, 2012. Photo by Michael Ciaglo/THE GAZETTE

MICHAEL CIAGLO/THE GAZETTE