Valentine's cards carry kids' thanks


	Valentine's cards carry kids' thanks

Release Date:

February 3, 2010

Press Release:

The Madison Spirit
and The Huntsville Times

Wonderful......

by Gregg L. Parker

The unlikely collaboration between actress Jennifer Love Hewitt and Veterans Affairs led to a community outreach project at Discovery Middle School.

Helping with Hewitt's campaign, Discovery students made Valentine's Day cards for veterans in area hospitals.

The project was a follow-up to a Veterans Day program held at the school, said Jacquelyn A. Flowers, Discovery's instructional coach. "The outpour of help from students was tremendous. They even packed gift bags to go with the cards."

In December, the cards were given to the VA, which identified the veterans who served in all contemporary wars to receive the cards for Valentine's Day.

For Flowers, the tribute was a poignant one because her father was a veteran. "It was a great way for myself and the teachers to collaborate on a project as a follow-up to our Veterans Day program."

"Our local, hospitalized veterans will be serviced first," Flowers said. "Then, any leftover cards will be distributed to other communities that did not participate in the project."

About 200 Discovery students in all seventh- and eighth-grade social studies classes worked on cards. Their teachers are Christine Jones, Kerri Key, Dewayne Perkins and Mary Beth Stewart.

Stewart helped eighth-graders Anna Robertson and Olivia Horan with their cards. "Both girls created a card that expressed their deep gratitude and thankfulness for the veterans' service to our country," she said.

"The girls wanted to be sure and let our veterans know how much they are loved and appreciated, especially on Valentine's Day."