The day Kids Helping Kids completed the “Christmas In Ghana” project while cleaning up, a new one was born. The Executive Director, Laura Page had brought a flyer about sending care packages to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan through a non-profit group of parents that have or have had children serve in the armed forces called the Blue Star Mom’s (http://www.ccbluestarmoms.org).

Laura Page asked the children if they wanted to donate the leftover candy from the backpacks to our troops. Then one child offered to donate all of their Halloween candy too and before they left that day one of the moms, Laurie Restani and her 3 children had a plan to organize a massive candy collecting effort for our troops. They set a goal to provide 1,000 zip lock bags to the Blue Star Moms.

In just 2 weeks Kids Helping Kids, under the master direction of Laurie Restani and her 3 children, collected bags and bags, heaps and heaps of candy, gum and mints. At the end of two weeks on a Friday late afternoon after school, 100 children came together and donated their time filling zip lock bags full of candy, hand writing Christmas cards to put in each bag, and boxing them up. In four hours they filled 6,230 zip lock bags with hope, love, encouragement and candy to send to the troops. When Kids Helping Kids delivered all the candy to the Blue Star Moms hoping for 1,000 bags there wasn’t a dry eye when they saw all 6,000.

Listed below is a letter received:

“Dear Kids Helping Kids, I just wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you for your support for the troops, and great website. I received numerous notes from children from your organization. Thank you, and Merry Christmas!”

MSG Randall R. Surles
Embassy Bogota Unit 5136