Members of the military with ties to Indian Lake Schools will receive care packages from students for the holiday season. Indian Lake Middle School Guidance Counselor Mandy Tidwell explains that representatives from Amvets Post #39 in Lakeview contacted her about a possible project. Students in both the elementary school and middle school brought in monetary donations, while turning in names and addresses of known Indian Lake graduates currently serving in the military. Tidwell says students and staff donated a total of $730. 7th graders brought in more than $400 alone. ILMS Student Council members helped stuff the boxes for 17 soldiers from Indian Lake.
7th grade Student Council representative Allison Kinney was excited to donate and help pack boxes because she knows some of those on the list.
“At this time of year they can really use a care package since it’s so close to the holidays.”
Student Council member Reece Martin agrees, “They deserve what we’re sending because they defend our country. It’s fun to think we are doing something for them in return.”
Tidwell says they used the donations to purchase snacks, Laker gear and other small gifts. Winner’s Lakeview Market on the north side of Indian Lake donated toiletries, which are also included in the boxes. Amvets Post #39 will cover the cost of postage and mail the packages this week to make sure they are delivered abroad before the holidays.
At the same time in a separate project, the ILHS Key Club held a drive at Indian Lake High School to collect money, gift cards and toiletry items for services members from Ohio. They gathered items to provide packages for an additional six members of the military, bringing the total number of soldiers receiving packages from Indian Lake Schools this season to 23.