Middle school students send care boxes to soldiers for fifth year in a row
An annual tradition at Butler Middle School hit new highs Friday due to a team of students who love soldiers.
For the fifth year in a row, fifth- and sixth-grade students packed boxes full of snacks and loaded them onto a big truck outside their school. The truck headed straight to the post office, where the boxes began their long journey to a group of military personnel stationed in southwest Asia.
Students do the work on shipping day, but several groups come together to make it all happen. The idea came from Kara Hovancik, a sixth-grade science and math teacher at the middle school — and from her, the helping hands seemed to spiral through the community.
Her husband, Justin, is a member of Pittsburgh's 911th Airlift Wing. Several members arrived Friday morning to help build boxes and load the truck.
American Legion Post 117 gave $4,000 for shipping, and district employees raised another $1,085. Much of the food was donated from various individuals and community groups.
“My whole goal is to make sure the kids are well-rounded,” Hovancik said. “We focus on academics, but I think it's important to show the kids why it's important to give back to their community and world.”
This is an excerpt of an article that will appeared in Sunday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to find out how many boxes were sent and learn more about the program.
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