Volunteers spent a chilly Saturday morning, Feb. 21, packing donations for troops serving overseas.
Clarkston Optimist Club members, veterans, and students met at Clarkston High School to pack dozens of Buddy Boxes, small packages filled with candy, letters, personal care products, and other items, for the Desert Angel nonprofit group.
The packages mean a lot to troops overseas, said Michelle Carson, paraeducator and advisor for the school Optimists.
“These are like gold,” Carson said. “I thought this would be a good project for the kids in the high school. They will be sent to Afghanistan, wherever they’re at.”
High school senior Rachael Bittick organized the event.
“This has been a good opportunity and a lot of fun,? said Bittick, who has several relatives who are veterans.
Mid-winter break and two snow days left only a day for fundraising that week, but students and the community still filled several tables with donations.
“We have a lot of community help,” said Bittick, also an International Baccalaureate student.
Neiman’s Family Market in Clarkston and Walgreens in Waterford also provided donations.