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Wilburn Gardens teams up with Spotsy schools to send sweets to Iraqi children Date published: 6/10/2008
by Jonas Beals
Army veteran Ann McCarthy dropped three Jolly Ranchers and a tiny plush toy into a Ziploc bag. "I love doing this," said McCarthy, a resident of the Wilburn Gardens senior living community. "If it helps others, I love it." Once zipped, her bag will be dropped into a box with hundreds of others. They will be sent to Marine Lance Cpl. Josh Lam of Spotsylvania, who is stationed in Ramadi, Iraq. As Lam drove through the city streets, he was impressed by the crowds of children that gathered around U.S. convoys whenever they stopped. He saw an opportunity to bring some joy to Iraqi children. His attraction: hard candy. It's a wartime tradition that can be traced back to the liberation of Europe at the end of World War II and afterward to the "candy bombers" of the Berlin Airlift. Lam needed a support staff for his plan to bear fruit, and he found it in Diane Mitchell, the activity director at Wilburn Gardens. Lam is a good friend of Mitchell's son, Todd, and through him got word to her. Mitchell asked local schools to collect candy and small toy donations to be organized and packaged by Wilburn Gardens residents and the students of Ni River Middle School's Helping Hands Organization. "Any time you bring different generations together like this, it's remarkable," Ni River Middle teacher Dana Long said. Many residents of the Wilburn Gardens community in Spotsylvania are war veterans themselves, so they have a unique sympathy for those in Iraq, civilians included. Charles Myers, a veteran of the Royal Air Force, is such a resident. "I think this is wonderful," he said. "Everyone should be doing something like this. The people over there need something to boost their morale." Midway through the project, Mitchell had to go shopping for more plastic bags. She had started with 500. The project's success makes it likely she will do it again. "The response was so amazing," Mitchell said, surveying the boxes of candy and toys. "I don't think Josh knows what he's getting into." To reach Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
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