Above, Sgt. Frank Powell with the U.S. Air Force 911th Airlift Wing talks to students Tuesday at Butler Middle School who were packaging snacks to send to troops overseas.

Butler fifth- and sixth-graders on Tuesday packaged and loaded about 250 boxes of snacks to be sent to troops stationed overseas.

This is the third year that students at Butler Middle School have put together care packages to be sent to security forces with the 911th Airlift Wing, who are stationed at a base overseas.

Airmen with the 911th brought a military truck to the school to transport the packages.

“My goal is to make them aware of community service and make them aware of how they can help others,” said Kara Hovancik, the teacher who organized the effort.

During an assembly earlier this month students got a chance to video-chat with some of the same airmen who receive the packages.

Sixth-graders Jaxon Lleyellyn and Melina Jack said they enjoyed getting to chat with the troops.

“It was nice to talk with people overseas defending our country,” Jaxon said.

One thing the students remembered from the chat was that the troops' schedule frequently changes and they often have to get up at 3 or 4 a.m. to start their day.

“It's cool just to be able to help them out,” Melina said.The students packed the boxes with cereal, candy, cookies, chips and other snack food that is hard to come by on the base.The supplies were donated by students, staff and American Legion Post 117. American Legion posts 117 and 778 paid for the cost of shipping.Sgt. Frank Powell thanked the students for their donation.“Our guys won't be home for Christmas, so this will be a nice gift for them,” he said.

C, outside the Butler Middle School Tuesday. Photo by Joe Genco.

Fifth-grade students Marissa Skelncar, middle, and Ella Karenbauer, right, pack snack food to be sent overseas to U.S. Air Force security forces.