Summer Campers Support TroopsPhoto/Text by Renee Burrell
Morningside Campers show they care CLEARWATER - Campers participating in Clearwater's Parks & Recreation summer program at the Morningside Recreation Complex, 2400 Harn Blvd., have started a project that is not a traditional summer camp activity. In addition to swimming, arts and crafts and ping pong, the campers are working to collect items for care packages to send to soldiers. Morningside Complex Supervisor, Julie Schultz, said, "It's important for the kids to understand that we must support our troops and show them that we care and that we appreciate what they are doing for us." The camper's project has escalated into a community-wide effort. "It's been great. The kids really enjoy getting involved and helping out. They each wrote a letter to send to a soldier expressing their appreciation. With the help of the camp's fine arts instructor, they created a large banner with messages for the troops and caricatures of themselves," said Schultz. "Some of the children are so committed to the project that they've even gotten out the phone books and are calling businesses in the yellow pages to request donations." Through Operation Shoebox, all of the items the kids collect will be sent to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Operation Shoebox sends snacks and much needed personal care items to the deployed. Since 2003 they've worked to encourage citizens to do so, too. According to Operation Shoebox, "The most frequent response we get from the 'boots on the ground' is that receiving mail from the home front is a huge morale boost!" Anyone wishing to contribute items to the camper's project can do so by dropping off goods from the following list to the Morningside Recreation Complex or the Clearwater Beach Recreation Center located at 69 Bay Esplanade on Clearwater Beach.
|