While most teenagers are busy thinking about what they want for Christmas, a group of students from Afton High School are focusing their efforts on giving this year.
For the last two months, members of a student organization called SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) have been gathering clothing items, school supplies and personal care items to be distributed to impoverished children half way around the globe, in war-torn Afghanistan.
The project is the brainchild of Ethan Dudden. An active member of the Civil Air Patrol, the Afton High School senior plans to join the Air National Guard and to study Aviation Science at Schenectedy Community College in the Fall.
“I wanted to do something ... I wanted to make a difference,” Dudden explained. His original idea was to put care packages together for U.S. Troops stationed in Afghanistan.
But after doing a lot of leg work, including phone calls to several military bases in New York State, Dudden was put in touch via e-mail with Lt. Col. Paul Fanning with the 27th Brigade Combat Team of the Army National Guard out of Syracuse. Fanning, who is currently stationed in Afghanistan, told Dudden that it was the country’s children who were really suffering and in need. He suggested that the senior gather items the troops could distribute to those children around the holidays.
Fanning sent a list of appropriate items including school supplies, books clothing, shoes and personal care items.
Dudden knew he couldn’t do it all on his own, so not long after school started, he approached the SADD advisor Sarah Delarco.
“His exact words to me were ‘As a senior I feel I need do something,’” Delarco said. The advisor wasted no time getting the student organization’s president, Logan Tallmadge, and other members involved with the project.
“I thought it was an excellent idea,” said Tallmadge. “Our schools really need to help out.”
The first challenge was getting the word out. Dudden and the SADD “troops” started by hanging flyers around the school and in the community, as well as sending information home with younger students.
Then Dudden produced a video which was shown during morning announcements. It included a slides show of pictures depicting Afghani children.
The video really inspired kids to find out more about the project, said Tallmadge, who reported that several students approached her after it was shown asking what they could do to help.
The students placed containers around the school to hold donations and it wasn’t long before they started pouring in.
Just before Thanksgiving, the students gathered in the high school’s library to sort through the items that were collected. They buzzed with excitement as they looked over the donations. Other than a couple of articles of clothing that were torn or stained and a few books they thought could be construed as religious in nature, everything looked good.
There was definitely a sense of accomplishment as they folded, packed, labeled and sealed. They all agreed that the experience has been an eye opening one.
“It’s a reality check,” explained Tallmadge. “You see how much we have and how little they do.”
“A lot of us take Christmas for granted,” agreed Amy Knapp, SADD Secretary.
“It’s good to give,” added fellow student Sara Rinker, with a smile.
The items collected were boxed up and shipped to Syracuse. From there they will be sent to Afghanistan where Fanning and his fellow soldiers will distribute them to local children during the holiday season.