NHS members collect to help soldiers

OTTAWA - Because of word of mouth and the generosity of students at Ottawa-Glandorf High School, six soldiers in Iraq will soon receive a box of personal-hygiene items and candy.

On Wednesday afternoon, members of the Ottawa-Glandorf National Honor Society were busy helping pack more than 100 pounds of hygiene items and candy at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9142.

The mission to help the soldiers began when Raymond Averesch sent his mother a letter begging for personal-hygiene items to be sent to him and other soldiers. Averesch, who is on his second tour of duty in Iraq, told his mother, that during his first tour the shortage of personal-hygiene items had been "bad enough." He said this time there was hardly any personal-hygiene items for the soldiers to use.

VFW Auxiliary member Linda Mansfield said the mother indicated the soldiers had to walk miles for hygiene items.

Averesch told his mother to go to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post and ask for help. His mother went to Post 9142 and requested assistance.

Sheryl Brinkman, VFW Post 9142 executive secretary, said they set out a box to collect items for the soldiers.

"I put up a list of suggested items," she said. "People were bringing in things."

Then an Ottawa-Glandorf High School teacher visiting the VFW heard about the situation and made a suggestion.

"He said the Ottawa-Glandorf National Honor Society was looking for a project," Brinkman said. "When he took the information back to the school they just flew with it."

Brinkman said National Honor Society member Erin Pfahler headed the collection at the school.

Pfahler said they put a box in each intervention room at the school.

"We began the collection around the beginning of December. I had heard about care packages for the soldiers and wanted to do something."

She said they also put candy in the boxes for the soldiers.

"When she showed up with all the items that had been collected, her car was just packed," Brinkman said, estimating they had collected more than 100 pounds of items.

The students came out Wednesday afternoon and helped pack up the items for shipping.

"We can always take donations to help with the cost of shipping," Brinkman said.

The VFW plans to ship the boxes to the soldiers today.