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Top of the class

Students send out support by boxful

The Lecanto High group, which goes by Operation Shoebox, puts together care packages for troops serving overseas.

By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE
Published September 1, 2005

LECANTO - Samantha Hoffman, 17, is a Lecanto High School senior who, like a lot of her classmates, studied American history in Bill Hartley's class as a junior. A couple of months into the school year, the teacher suggested that interested students start a group to send care packages to U.S. troops - particularly those associated with Lecanto High - who are serving overseas.

By December, about 10 students started discussing ways to get packages out by the end of the school year. They called themselves Operation Military Appreciation, but also go by Operation Shoebox, an organization formed in 2003 for support of overseas troops. Its Web site, www.operationshoebox.com provides a list of appropriate items to donate.

Samantha, who goes by Sam, has remained at the heart of the group, working with a core of students including fellow seniors Ryan Wakeland, Kelly Lemberger and Jamie Gajos. They started collecting nonperishable food, toiletries, magazines and even toys for local children began in March.

"This is very important to me," Sam said, "because these people are supporting our country. They're out there putting their lives on the line for us."

One of the first packages went to a former Lecanto High science teacher, Gilda Herrin, who is serving in Afghanistan. Some former students got boxes too, including Lesley Caron, a 2003 Lecanto graduate who is also in Afghanistan. Caron, who has a twin sister in Qatar, sent a thank you letter, expressing her delight that her high school has not forgotten her.

Sam is a board member of the North Suncoast Republican Club, which is paying to ship the boxes, which are sent at a flat rate of $7.90 through the U.S. post office in Priority Mail boxes.

Donations are ongoing and Sam invites the community's help. "It doesn't matter if you're for or against the war," Sam said. "You can support our troops, who are supporting Americans. We don't care how small a donation is; anything can help."

She is also asking school and community members to suggest names of service people to whom they can send packages, especially Lecanto High graduates.

Sam said she wasn't much interested in politics or government until Sept. 11, 2001. She realized then that she needed to know what is going on in the world. She hopes to attend Florida State University after graduation and double major in international affairs and Chinese. After that, she wants Condoleezza Rice's job.

[Last modified September 1, 2005, 00:57:17]