Hawaii students send cheer to Iraq (Awwww that's so sweet!)

Marine Corps News ^ | Dec 17, 2005 | Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

[SandRat]

SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq (Dec. 17, 2005) --

In this season of giving, a number of students from Kailua Intermediate School, in Kailua, Hawaii, are reaching out to help the children of Iraq.

The students and teachers have been hard at work for the past two months, sending toys overseas to Marines stationed in Iraq for the country’s needy children.

The idea originated out of Boulder, Colo., from a family who arranged to deliver the stuffed animals and soccer balls to an Army staff sergeant in Baghdad.

“My son started Operation Teddy Bear with his two teenage daughters and wife,” said Representative Cynthia Thielen, Assistant Minority Floor Leader, Hawaii House of Representatives. “I was visiting [him] in Boulder during the project and was very impressed.”

During a visit to the school’s 7th and 8th grade class, Thielen proposed the same idea to the students.

“When I went to teacher Kathleen Nullet's 7th and 8th grade classes to talk about the legislature, I proposed to the students that they conduct an Operation Teddy Bear too,” said Thielen. “I felt that Hawaii's students would like to reach out with aloha to the students in Fallujah, Iraq. The students were very excited about the idea, and they really expanded upon it.”

Nullet said the students were excited to take on the large task and Thielen was extremely helpful and influential getting the project off the ground and running.

“I was looking for a service learning project for my 8th grade students to participate in,” said Nullet. “Many of my students have parents who are from [Marine Corps Base Hawaii]. Both local and military students wanted to reach out to the Iraqi children in an attempt to spread aloha.”

Nullet and Thielen hope that as future community leaders, the students will spearhead ideas that will help others, especially after seeing the results of their efforts.

Approximately $1,600 was raised for the toys from the local community who responded well to the students request for soccer balls, stuffed animals and money to cover shipping costs. The students had money left over and are buying more soccer balls to ship.

Thielen also wrote to the founder of Build-a-Bear, asking her to donate 50 Build-a-Bears dressed in doctors' green scrubs for the Marines in Fallujah to deliver to children in the local hospitals.

“I volunteered to cover the shipping costs,” said Thielen. “I just received word that Build-a-Bear will donate the 50 bears, all in doctors' scrubs and little face masks. The bears will be shipped after Christmas.”

The items donated were distributed to schools by Team 4, Detachment 4, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division, in Saqlawiyah, as they continued their efforts to distribute numerous supplies to the children of Iraq.

“Donating toys is one little small factor, but it puts a big humanitarian face on what we do,” said Chief Warrant Officer Gregory Melotte, team commander. “It’s great to see little kids out here. We bring them things they haven’t had in a long time or never had, like school supplies or toys. The children of the country are the future. Those are the people we need to help.”

[SandRat]

A child, in Saqlawiyah, Iraq, hugs her new bear which was given to her by a Marine from Team 4, Detachment 4, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division. Photo by: Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

A child, in Saqlawiyah, Iraq, hugs her new teddy bear. Each donated bear has a note tied to it that reads in English and Arabic, “Hi! I’m a teddy bear from your American friends.” The items were distributed to schools by Team 4, Detachment 4, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division. Photo by: Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

A child in Saqlawiyah, Iraq, hides behind her Iraqi flag, given to her as a gift from a Marine from Team 4, Detachment 4, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division. Photo by: Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

An Iraqi child waves her Iraqi flag while holding on to her new teddy bear during a recent visit from the Team 4, Detachment 4, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division. Photo by: Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

It’s thumbs up from an Iraqi child as he waits for Marines from Team 4, Detachment 4, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division to deliver soccer balls. Photo by: Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

Twenty-two-year-old Lance Cpl. Robert Hancock, saw gunner, Team 4, Detachment 4, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division, is crowded by Iraqi children in Saqlawiyah, Iraq. The Fort Mill, S.C., native, helped distribute school supplies and toys to the school children. Photo by: Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

Captain Lee Kindlon, a Williamstown, Mass., native, jokes with an Iraqi child outside a school in Saqlawiyah, Iraq during a visit by Team 4, Detachment 4, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division. Photo by: Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

Religious Program Specialist Shalon Santana, a Detroit Mich., native, introduces herself to Iraqi children during a recent visit to a school in Saqlawiyah, Iraq from Team 4, Detachment 4, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division. The team distributed toys, school supplies and treats to the children. Photo by: Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

Lieutenant Col. Robert A. Sammel, Detachment 4 commander, 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division, hands an Iraqi child a soccer ball during a patrol in Fallujah on the day of the elections. The soccer ball was one of many donated by the 7th and 8th grade students from Kailua Intermediate School, in Kailua, Hawaii. Photo by: Cpl. Heidi E. Loredo

[SandRat]

Folks at home supporting our troops are also helping win the war.

[Bahbah]

Terrorizing those poor children with teddy bears and soccer balls. What will they think of next :)

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Theresawithanh]

Awesome! Love the pictures.