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Superintendent Randy George said the district took the action to assist Adopt-a-Platoon with its Christmas packages for troops after meeting with Greg Hart, local Adopt-a-Platoon organizer.
"After talking to Greg. I met with the building principals and told them what the organizations does for our deployed troops at Christmas and they all wanted to participate," George said. "We just felt that the district could join the Hart family and take some ownership of this great program."
Hart and his wife Kim began adopting a platoon more than five years ago. They ask local businesses to place drop boxes where the public can leave gifts for deployed and they published lists of the kinds of items that men and women deployed in the desert could use.
Popular items for the Christmas packages are candy, hot chocolate, hand warmers, snack packs, handheld games, card games, word puzzles, Slim Jims, beef jerky and travel-sized toiletries.
The couple and Hart's country and Western band The Cheese Slingin' Roadhouse Squirrels also hold two fundraising programs a year at the Great Pacific Coffee Company to publicize the program and raise funds to pay postage to mail the packages.
"For our kids, this is just a phenomenal way to provide a valuable community service," George said. "Putting them in touch with our troops at Christmastime is both helpful and personal."
Each student in the district, from kindergarten through seniors, will take a Christmas stocking provided by Adopt-a-Platoon and stuff the items also provided by the program, into the stocking.
"The administrators may have to help the smaller students, but we thought they should be part of the program," George said.
Each class will then put their stockings into a mailing box for mailing.
"Our administrators were just pleased to be part of this program," George said.
Hart said he and his wife are overwhelmed by the school district's participation. In the past they have relied on family members and a handful of volunteers to stuff the stockings, wrap each gift and prepare packages for mailing.
"Last year we had one school that made personalized Christmas cards and the feedback that we got was one of those great moments in why we do this," Hart said. "The troops liked the children's messages almost more than the presents and Christmas tree."
When Hart learned that Meramec Valley students would help, he contacted the Adopt-a-Platoon headquarters in Dallas, Texas, which assigned additional military units to receive the Christmas package.
"If we had our way, every military person who is deployed in a war zone would have a package on Christmas morning," Hart said. "This participation from the district is more than we ever dreamed our local organization would do."
The Roadhouse Adopt-a-Platoon program sends a regular e-mail newsletter detailing the latest work on behalf of the troops.
Other popular items that can easily be mailed to troops are insect repellent, sunblock, medicated foot powder, Odor Eaters for boots, socks, lip balm and U/V blocker sunglasses.
