thedrifter
12-02-08, 07:04 AM
December 2, 2008
Homemade cookies head to Heroes in Iraq, Afghanistan
Students, Morris residents help cull almost 25,000 sweets
Daily Record staff reports
The goal was 6,000 cookies.
The result was more than four times that; 24,912 cookies or 2,076 dozen.
"The cookies just multiplied," said Ann Marie Manahan of Morris Township. "It was like the biblical story of the loaves and fishes."
Manahan, working with Marine Corps and Vietnam Veteran Ted Tutka of Dover, had set out to provide homemade cookies to soldiers serving in a New Jersey National Guard unit in Iraq and to soldiers serving in Afghanistan with Col Sean P. Mullholland, who is the son of Morristown-resident Mary Mullholland.
The cookies were wrapped tightly to keep them as fresh as possible and packed in 178 boxes, with 58 going to the Guard unit in Iraq, 76 going to Afghanistan and the rest going to individuals brought to Manahan's attention by family members who saw a story about their effort in the Daily Record.
The idea, which became known as "Cookies for Heroes," came from Manahan's 7-year-old daughter, Madeleine.
The Assumption School second-grader had read of a similar effort in an American Girl book set during World War II.
Word spreads
Manahan said the project really picked up steam after the article appeared in the paper on Nov. 16, with people from all over Morris County plus Sparta, West Orange and elsewhere donating cookies, packaging materials or cash.
"A woman from Morris Plains brought over a thousand cookies," Manahan said.
School children also sent cards which were included in the packages.
About 40 people helped package the cookies in the boxes, which each cost about $9 to send overseas. The shipping costs were covered by approximately $1,800 that been donated by a variety of people for that purposes, Manahan said.
The most popular donated cookie was chocolate chip but there were also sugar, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin and others, Manahan said.
Employees of Nabisco also chipped in some of their company's cookies, pointing out that some soldiers and Marines might have food allergies so it would not be safe for them to eat homemade goods.
People at the Postal Service said it would take five to seven days for the cookies to reach their destination.
"It was very endearing to see how many people care about our troops," Manahan said.
Ellie
Homemade cookies head to Heroes in Iraq, Afghanistan
Students, Morris residents help cull almost 25,000 sweets
Daily Record staff reports
The goal was 6,000 cookies.
The result was more than four times that; 24,912 cookies or 2,076 dozen.
"The cookies just multiplied," said Ann Marie Manahan of Morris Township. "It was like the biblical story of the loaves and fishes."
Manahan, working with Marine Corps and Vietnam Veteran Ted Tutka of Dover, had set out to provide homemade cookies to soldiers serving in a New Jersey National Guard unit in Iraq and to soldiers serving in Afghanistan with Col Sean P. Mullholland, who is the son of Morristown-resident Mary Mullholland.
The cookies were wrapped tightly to keep them as fresh as possible and packed in 178 boxes, with 58 going to the Guard unit in Iraq, 76 going to Afghanistan and the rest going to individuals brought to Manahan's attention by family members who saw a story about their effort in the Daily Record.
The idea, which became known as "Cookies for Heroes," came from Manahan's 7-year-old daughter, Madeleine.
The Assumption School second-grader had read of a similar effort in an American Girl book set during World War II.
Word spreads
Manahan said the project really picked up steam after the article appeared in the paper on Nov. 16, with people from all over Morris County plus Sparta, West Orange and elsewhere donating cookies, packaging materials or cash.
"A woman from Morris Plains brought over a thousand cookies," Manahan said.
School children also sent cards which were included in the packages.
About 40 people helped package the cookies in the boxes, which each cost about $9 to send overseas. The shipping costs were covered by approximately $1,800 that been donated by a variety of people for that purposes, Manahan said.
The most popular donated cookie was chocolate chip but there were also sugar, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin and others, Manahan said.
Employees of Nabisco also chipped in some of their company's cookies, pointing out that some soldiers and Marines might have food allergies so it would not be safe for them to eat homemade goods.
People at the Postal Service said it would take five to seven days for the cookies to reach their destination.
"It was very endearing to see how many people care about our troops," Manahan said.
Ellie