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Business News
ST. PAUL —
During the holidays, everyone loves seeing families again and celebrating the holiday spirit, but not everyone gets to come home for the holidays. That fact was really brought home by a letter from a Saint Paul alumni Michael Pope, saying how many of our soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and all over the world don’t get to come home for the holidays. Pope is currently serving in the 72nd Engineer Company in Sharana, Afghanistan.
Every year, St. Paul elementary students write letters to the soldiers who serve our country over the holidays, but this year every St. Paul student, from elementary to high school, wrote a letter. For the first time St. Paul faculty and students organized a project to send the soldiers something to cheer them up over the holidays. Over five big boxes were sent packed with snacks, toiletries, and holiday goodies to our soldiers overseas.
There were a few problems that they encountered. All the items had to be sorted by box, and a specific list of all the items was needed, and each item had to be weighed to get through customs. Also, the boxes, which were brought in by students, and Dan Spielbusch, or generously donated by the grocery store, couldn’t have labels or bar codes on them. Needless to say the high school students who helped package them, with the help of Mr. Nick Jacquinot, had a great time spray painting the boxes to cover logos of previous users, weighing the items, and finally getting them all to fit in the boxes.
Everyone got involved, with donations from every class. “It was very successful!” Mr. Jacquinot stated. “I was just very pleased with all of the students that got involved, and the time and effort that they put into it.” Mrs. Diane Harper helped organize sending the packages, and the St. Paul Alumni and Friends Association paid for the costs of shipping. The holidays should be a time of cheer, wherever you may be, and hopefully the care packages sent by St. Paul Schools will help to brighten our soldiers’ holiday.
During the holidays, everyone loves seeing families again and celebrating the holiday spirit, but not everyone gets to come home for the holidays. That fact was really brought home by a letter from a Saint Paul alumni Michael Pope, saying how many of our soldiers serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and all over the world don’t get to come home for the holidays. Pope is currently serving in the 72nd Engineer Company in Sharana, Afghanistan.
Every year, St. Paul elementary students write letters to the soldiers who serve our country over the holidays, but this year every St. Paul student, from elementary to high school, wrote a letter. For the first time St. Paul faculty and students organized a project to send the soldiers something to cheer them up over the holidays. Over five big boxes were sent packed with snacks, toiletries, and holiday goodies to our soldiers overseas.
There were a few problems that they encountered. All the items had to be sorted by box, and a specific list of all the items was needed, and each item had to be weighed to get through customs. Also, the boxes, which were brought in by students, and Dan Spielbusch, or generously donated by the grocery store, couldn’t have labels or bar codes on them. Needless to say the high school students who helped package them, with the help of Mr. Nick Jacquinot, had a great time spray painting the boxes to cover logos of previous users, weighing the items, and finally getting them all to fit in the boxes.
Everyone got involved, with donations from every class. “It was very successful!” Mr. Jacquinot stated. “I was just very pleased with all of the students that got involved, and the time and effort that they put into it.” Mrs. Diane Harper helped organize sending the packages, and the St. Paul Alumni and Friends Association paid for the costs of shipping. The holidays should be a time of cheer, wherever you may be, and hopefully the care packages sent by St. Paul Schools will help to brighten our soldiers’ holiday.
