Woman’s Club Gathers Valentines For Veterans

By Dottie Evans

Remember those timeless phrases of love, “Be Mine” and “UR2good2B4gotten?”

Who could forget that “SWAK” means “Sealed With A Kiss?”

There is something very reassuring about reading a pile of valentines made by school children in the year 2004, and finding those familiar old messages are still popular today.

“It takes me right back,” said Marion Thompson with a chuckle, as she and three other Newtown Woman’s Club (GFWC), Inc, members shuffled through an impressive pile of nearly 300 valentines made by Newtown children for war veterans.

Ms Thompson was joined by Dolores Judge, Jane Landgrebe, and Betty Warner in the Booth Library’s Public Meeting Room on Monday morning. They sifted through the colorful, handmade valentines, in preparation for boxing them up for delivery to two veterans’ groups in the state hospital at Rocky Hill, and to the federal facility in West Haven.

The valentines had been made by a library creative craft class, Youth Advisory Board, Girl Scout troops, school classes including the Sandy Hook kindergartners, and the Misty Morning Day Care Center among others. The valentines were collected in boxes, bags, and envelopes by Woman’s Club members for delivery this week.

“This is an annual project that we enjoy so much. We are very grateful to the children for all their hard work. The valentines are beautiful,” Ms Thompson said.

She was particularly impressed with the Hershey kisses wrapped in pink plastic with a message attached that read, “Thank you for serving our country. It’s a better place because of what you’ve done.”

Finally, a big red heart with the word “V-Day” caught her eye.

“That’s so clever. Veterans and valentines just go together it seems.”