thedrifter
12-14-07, 06:37 AM
2,000 cards sent to wounded soldiers and Marines
By GAIL MAHOLICK gmaholick@tnonline.com
A Lehighton woman had a "fabulous" community response to a project that will make Christmas time a brighter time for America's wounded military recovering from their war injuries in hospitals around the country.
Sue Anthony spearheaded a project that she hoped would send Christmas Christmas cards to soldiers and Marines who are in hospitals recovering from their injuries. Her last project involved placing American flags in all the elementary classrooms in the Lehighton Area School District.
Anthony had a call from Rick Bashore, who asked her if she had the time to get together about 180 cards for the soldiers and Marines who are in hospitals recovering from their injuries. Bashore is a Germansville man who organized a day of paint ball games for Wounded Warriors Marines and soldiers recovering from their injuries in area hospitals this fall.
"I had over 2,000 cards and more are coming," she said.
She said that the costs to mail the 10 packages, which included four large boxes came from the community.
A woman in San Antonio, Texas, who has ties to the area, Beverly Atkinson, donated $50 and the Lehighton Legion Auxiliary Post 314 also received $40, plus a another $10 donation, which completely covered the costs. The Lehighton Legion Auxiliary had originally authorized payment from a special Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Fund, which wasn't needed due to receiving the needed donations.
Anthony said Shull David and Mahoning elementary schools, Lehighton High School Student Council and teachers, Lehighton Middle School made cards and that Jim Thorpe High School wrote heartwarming letters, which brought tears to her eyes. She also received cards from L.B. Morris Elementary School, Jim Thorpe School District; and S.S. Palmer Elementary School and Palmerton High School. Cards were also received through Carbon County Head Start and Nestle-Purina Pet Care employees signed cards at their Christmas party. A Lehighton woman who teaches at Strayer Middle School had her class send cards after reading about the project in the TIMES NEWS.
Anthony said that Bashore had contacted Northwestern Lehigh, Northern Lehigh and Bethlehem school districts, who also made or collected cards for the wounded soldiers and marines.
"I had a cards dropped off by people in the communities of Bowmanstown, Hometown and Lehighton.
"It was really nice, great," she said. "I even has Santa help send out the cards at the post office."
She said that her Santa Claus (Joe Eremus), who is her brother, was a big help when it came to the heavy boxes. Also assisting Anthony at the Lehighton Post Office were Lehighton Legion Auxiliary members Gladys Balliet, Geri Klein and Debbie DeCindio.
"I had over 10 packages," she said. "The box to Texas was pretty stuffed." She said she had learned that the burn center patients in Texas will not be going home.
Cards will be distributed to the Wounded Warrior Barracks, Camp Le Jeune, North Carolina; Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonia, Texas; and Wounded Warrior Hospital, Camp Pendelton, Texas.
Ellie
By GAIL MAHOLICK gmaholick@tnonline.com
A Lehighton woman had a "fabulous" community response to a project that will make Christmas time a brighter time for America's wounded military recovering from their war injuries in hospitals around the country.
Sue Anthony spearheaded a project that she hoped would send Christmas Christmas cards to soldiers and Marines who are in hospitals recovering from their injuries. Her last project involved placing American flags in all the elementary classrooms in the Lehighton Area School District.
Anthony had a call from Rick Bashore, who asked her if she had the time to get together about 180 cards for the soldiers and Marines who are in hospitals recovering from their injuries. Bashore is a Germansville man who organized a day of paint ball games for Wounded Warriors Marines and soldiers recovering from their injuries in area hospitals this fall.
"I had over 2,000 cards and more are coming," she said.
She said that the costs to mail the 10 packages, which included four large boxes came from the community.
A woman in San Antonio, Texas, who has ties to the area, Beverly Atkinson, donated $50 and the Lehighton Legion Auxiliary Post 314 also received $40, plus a another $10 donation, which completely covered the costs. The Lehighton Legion Auxiliary had originally authorized payment from a special Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Fund, which wasn't needed due to receiving the needed donations.
Anthony said Shull David and Mahoning elementary schools, Lehighton High School Student Council and teachers, Lehighton Middle School made cards and that Jim Thorpe High School wrote heartwarming letters, which brought tears to her eyes. She also received cards from L.B. Morris Elementary School, Jim Thorpe School District; and S.S. Palmer Elementary School and Palmerton High School. Cards were also received through Carbon County Head Start and Nestle-Purina Pet Care employees signed cards at their Christmas party. A Lehighton woman who teaches at Strayer Middle School had her class send cards after reading about the project in the TIMES NEWS.
Anthony said that Bashore had contacted Northwestern Lehigh, Northern Lehigh and Bethlehem school districts, who also made or collected cards for the wounded soldiers and marines.
"I had a cards dropped off by people in the communities of Bowmanstown, Hometown and Lehighton.
"It was really nice, great," she said. "I even has Santa help send out the cards at the post office."
She said that her Santa Claus (Joe Eremus), who is her brother, was a big help when it came to the heavy boxes. Also assisting Anthony at the Lehighton Post Office were Lehighton Legion Auxiliary members Gladys Balliet, Geri Klein and Debbie DeCindio.
"I had over 10 packages," she said. "The box to Texas was pretty stuffed." She said she had learned that the burn center patients in Texas will not be going home.
Cards will be distributed to the Wounded Warrior Barracks, Camp Le Jeune, North Carolina; Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonia, Texas; and Wounded Warrior Hospital, Camp Pendelton, Texas.
Ellie