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Kids answer call for school supplies in IraqLetters

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Kids answer call for school supplies in IraqLetters full of good wishes accompany pens, paints for students far away
ASHLEY BARRON

ROCK HILL - Kids answer call for school supplies in Iraq Letters full of good wishes accompany pens, paints for students far away Ashley Barron

ROCK HILL -- The Army Corps of Engineers is renovating 408 schools in northern Iraq. Twenty-one kids in Rick Mangum's fourth-grade class at Oakdale Elementary School are working to get school supplies to the students there.

"When we completed many of the school renovation projects," Lt. Col. Greg Gunter said in an e-mail to the Observer. "we noticed that most of them did not have the supplies, pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, crayons, etc., that we just take for granted in the States."
Gunter is stationed on Forward Operating Base Courage in Mosul, Iraq.
A chain of friends sent the request for supplies from Iraq through Washington and south to Rock Hill. Tom Lee of Paddock Pools stepped forward to help. He encouraged fellow employees and friends to join in, and they collected more than 30 book bags, hundreds of notebooks and boxes of crayons, pens and paints.

On Friday, kids in Mangum's class stuffed the book bags with school supplies, then added a personal letter to each.

"They're learning the meaning of democracy, and spreading goodwill to the children of Iraq," said Mangum, who has taught at the school 27 years. "They're learning to be good ambassadors and to make this a more peaceful world to live in."

The children's letters reflect these lessons.

"I hope that the pencils, crayons and book bags will help you get a great education," wrote Camila Bentos-Pereira. "Don't let the war stop you from chasing your dreams. Don't let anyone tell you what you can be. There are people all over the world encouraging you to follow your dreams. Democracy gives you freedom, which you will soon have."

"I wish I knew your point of view of this disaster," Samuel Bennett wrote. "I hope you have democracy one day."

Pulzario Kennedy, whose brother is in the Navy, said he hoped the letters would make Iraqi children feel better.

"They have no book bags, their desks are together and they need book bags to carry their stuff in and supplies," he said.

Their letters might receive responses. Gunter plans to bring letters from children in Iraq to Mangum's class when he returns to the United States this spring.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/states/south_carolina/counties/york/13965210.htm