Soldiers will benefit from local schools’ generosity

BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON- Students at JacksonMemorial High School and members of the Jackson Rotary Club have come together to assist military personnel who are serving overseas.

Speaking at the Jan. 15 meeting of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Gialanella said, “As superintendent, you hear a lot of things about the school district. I’ve heard a number of different compliments. But now, not only [have I heard] about the Jackson Rotary Club, the organization that put this whole project together, but [I have also heard] about the way our students became involved and the work they did.”

Speaking on behalf of the Jackson Rotary Club, George Fisher said the project, which came to be known as “25 Items for Soldiers Overseas,” began about a month ago.

“These are 25 items that are special to our soldiers,” Fisher said. “Things like Qtips, socks, baby wipes and the things we never think of as military items and things we take for granted. But obviously, out in the field they really need it.”

The Rotary Club members tried to come up with a way to make the project work and to see how donations could be obtained.

“One of the first things we did was to reach out to Maria Holm, who is our liaison for the Interact Club at Jackson Memorial High School,” Fisher said. “The Interact Club consists of students who are involved in a number of things and with the Rotary Club we have done a number of different fundraisers trying to raise funds for the people in Jackson, but this latest project was something a little bit different.”

Fisher said when Holm took the idea and ran with it.

“We really didn’t have much expectation,

but withMaria’s guidance and follow through, all of the schools in Jackson became

involved,” he said.

Faculty members, students and parents made donations for the soldiers.

“When Maria called me she said she had some things for us to pick up,” Fisher recounted. “We figured we would [just] pick up the items and deliver them to the Toms River armory and she said we would need a car.”

Fisher said he drove his car over to the high school. When Holm opened the door she told him she had a couple of things to load.At that point wheelbarrows and pails filled with items were brought out.

“The first car load was full from the passenger seat to the roof, to the back seat, to the trunk,” he said.

A couple of days later he received another call from Holm informing him there were more items for the soldiers. Fisher said Holm told him he would need a bigger car this time. He said he removed the seats from his wife’s van, went to the school and was again met with wheelbarrows, pails and boxes that were filled with supplies for the American troops.

“From the roof to the back seat to the front seat it was full of items,” he said. “All the schools participated and it was just amazing.”

The final count was two car loads and two van loads of supplies for the soldiers, Fisher said.

“I drove them down to the armory in Toms River and the volunteers there were amazed to see my face four times,” he said. “But what was really amazing was when I told them that the students in Jackson were the driving force for this. It was truly amazing.”

Fisher thanked the students, parents and faculty members for the part they played in an effort that may not be seen, but is felt by those on the receiving end of the effort.