Mid-High invites community to become involved with filling boxes for troops

Mustang Mid-High students are having a school-wide drive for items to pack freedom boxes to send to the troops. Shawna Reynolds, school counselor, said the school is opening the drive to the community. Items can be dropped off at MMH or at Wal-Mart through Oct. 28. The students and faculty want to ship the boxes in time to arrive for the holidays. 

“The project started in our advisory classes,” Reynolds said. “Many of our classes created posters for the 45th Infantry Division’s return home. We began collecting to send boxes to the troops because everyone is affected. We have many kids in our building who have family members who are deployed.”

David Weston’s advisory class began collecting for the troops in the last of September. Besides toiletries and canned food, Hardtimes, a beef jerky company in Oklahoma, donated six cases of beef jerky. The beef jerky and other items were divided into smaller packages and all from Weston’s class will be sent to the 46th ECB “H” Company in Iraq.

“My students wanted to do something for our soldiers – to show our appreciation for what they do for us,” Weston said.

Anyone who would like to give to the project can drop off their donation at MMH or Wal-Mart. Suggested items include snack food, coffee packets, instant drink mixes, hard candy, white or tan tube socks, puzzle books, snap-open canned items, toiletries, gum, notes of encouragement, decks of cards, lip balm, phone cards, unscented baby wipes, dry coffee creamer, CDs, DVDs, MP3 players, portable DVD players, individual pre-packaged snack items, Slim Jims, protein bars, toothbrushes, 50 SPF sunscreen, zinc oxide and heat packs to put in socks and gloves.

“Donations of money would also be greatly appreciated,” Reynolds. “Funds donated will be used to pay the cost of shipping the boxes – at approximately $12 per box – overseas.”