2011 Valentines For Troops Effort Comes To A Close, With A Ceremony

By Eliza Hallabeck

While Valentines For Troops Project Chair Donna Monteleone Randle said this year’s efforts to send valentines to servicemen and women overseas would not have been possible without the help of so many volunteers, the guest speakers at Reed Intermediate School a celebration for the effort on Friday, February 25, said it would never have been possible without her.

Ms Randle also reminded all present for the event that, “Every day that a soldier receives something from home, letting them know that someone cares, is Valentine’s Day. So if your group or town has not participated for this Valentine’s Day, you’ve got plenty of days left in the year.”

Without the teachers, scout troop leaders, school administrators, parents, clergy members, and everyone else who supported the effort this year, Ms Randle said, it would not have been possible. She noted the initiative was a full community effort this year, and members of the community who helped support the effort were invited to take part in Friday’s ceremony.

Each year volunteers work to find and list addresses of deployed personnel to send letters and care packages to, and later work to help proofread and pack the letters and care packages for shipment overseas, to places like Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, and to ships at sea.

While the effort has predominantly been directed toward students in the past, Ms Randle, a former US Army Captain, Signal Corps, said this year adult groups and after school groups also joined the effort. Schools from several neighboring towns, including Danbury, also participated this year. Several area houses of worship also signed on, including Trinity Episcopal, Christ the King Lutheran, Newtown United Methodist, Newtown Congregational, Faith at Newtown, and Congregation Adath Israel.

Other groups involved with the project include the Connecticut National Guard Family Support Group in Hartford, Blue Star Mothers, and the local VFW.

“It is more about the connections,” said Reed Intermediate School Principal Sharon Epple. “It’s more about the authentic role that our students play on many levels in many different organizations now to make sure that our troops abroad know that they are not forgotten, that they are loved, and we remember them everyday.”

Schools in Newtown finished sending out Valentines for Troops the week of Valentine’s Day.

Ms Randle had a long list of people to thank as she spoke before the group assembled in Reed’s cafetorium. This year the effort received more than just letters. Ms Randle said the Valentines For Troops effort received so many toothbrushes from local dentists that the receiving troops are now giving out the remaining toothbrushes to children in the area where the soldiers are serving.

“So the sharing is continuing,” said Ms Randle.

Charter Communications Local Access Channel CTV 2 surpassed its goal of collecting 1,000 DVDs to donate to troops overseas.

“They hit almost 1,400,” said Ms Randle. “So thank you so much for them.”

Some speakers on Friday spoke from a supporting perspective, while some spoke from the perspective of those who have received items from the Valentines For Troops effort.

“We very much appreciate everything that you do for us and the soldiers,” said Sergeant Art Fredericks of the Connecticut National Guard. “It makes what we do, worth doing.”

First Selectman Pat Llodra also spoke during the ceremony.

“I’m very proud to be a part of this initiative,” said Mrs Llodra. “I believe in the power of these connections, I truly do, and I will do anything I can, Donna knows, to help out.”

While noting multiple other area first selectmen in attendance at the ceremony, Mrs Llodra noted Ms Randle’s ability to pull people together for the effort.

“I do believe in this. I think it is important,” Mrs Llodra said, “and I am ever grateful for Donna having the persistence and the passion to make sure this ball keeps rolling.”

Newtown’s State Representatives Christopher Lyddy and DebraLee Hovey, Congressman Chris Murphy’s aide Stephanie Podewell, and Board of Education Chair William Hart were also in attendance at the afternoon ceremony.

Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman also spoke to the initiative.

“I really came by to congratulate all of you,” said Ms Wyman.

Ms Wyman said her attention was drawn to a letter written by a servicemen that thanked the Valentines For Troops effort for all they do recently.

“What you do for the men and women in uniform is fantastic,” said Ms Wyman. “What you’ve done, is you’ve brightened up their day by sending that letter and their getting that Valentine, you have really brightened up their day.”

People attend sendoffs and welcome back events for servicemen and women going overseas, Ms Wyman said.

“But when some of the veterans talk about getting packages or letters their eyes light up,” Ms Wyman said, “because that was one of their best days wherever they were.”

She also asked all the veterans and active members of the military to stand up for recognition.

“Those that are fighting, are trying to preserve the freedoms that we have now,” said Ms Wyman, “and we are so fortunate to have men and women volunteer.”

For more information on the Valentines For Troops effort log on to Facebook and search for the group’s page, “Valentines for Troops Newtown CT.”