Students at First Avenue Elementary school teamed up with San Manuel Junior-Senior High School students and staff to send more than 150 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to armed forces serving overseas.
San Manuel students collected enough “spare change” to purchase 152 boxes (12 1/2 cases) of Girl Scout cookies to send to United States service personnel who are deployed overseas.
The students donated $760 for Girl Scout cookies, according to Deb Mansager, First Ave. teacher. An anonymous donor contributed more than $100, she added.
“The fifth and sixth grade combination class wrote letters to Jr./Sr. High teachers and staff, asking if their students would be interested in pitching in,” Mansager said. The Jr./Sr. High contributed nearly $300 according to Mansager.
The Girl Scout Cookie program was spearheaded by first grade teacher, Isabel Austin.
“This is another testament to the Tri-Community’s strong tradition of military service and support,” Austin said.
First Ave. students and families also donated many Christmas gifts to the Veterans’ Hospital last December.
In a First Ave. competition to see which classroom could raise the most “spare change”, Mark Parrish’s sixth grade class won first place while Wendy Torres’ second grade class was second, according to Austin.
Fellow first grade teacher Corrie Guerrero, along with second grade teachers, Stepheena Huerta and Wendy Torres and upper grade teacher Deb Mansager coordinated with Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona leaders, Tonia and Tabitha Kellam, to provide Girl Scout Cookies for military serving overseas.
“A while back, our local Airman, Micky Kelly, received some of our cookies,” Tonia Kellam said.
“He told us how they shared their cookies with local Afghan children,” she added.
Earlier this year, Mansager received a letter from Deborah Brookshire who is a Program Manager at the Veteran Health Administration’s Voluntary Service, thanking the students for their donations to the VA Hospital.
“It is through the efforts of community partners like you that we are able to continue providing quality care and services to our deserving Veterans,” Brookshire wrote. “Thank you for your continued support.”
Students at First Avenue Elementary school teamed up with San Manuel Junior-Senior High School students and staff to send more than 150 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to armed forces serving overseas.