JROTC cadets donate 116 gifts
Posted on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Tara Selfe (left) and Trevor Penkwitz (right) with Christmas gifts collected by Caroline High School JROTC cadets for needy children.
The Caroline High School JROTC Army Cadets collected and donated 116 Christmas presents for needy children for the holiday.
The cadets called their service project ‘Operation Shoebox’ and partnered with the Caroline County Department of Social Services. The cadets set a goal to collect 100 presents for needy boys and girls ages 3-12 and wrap them in shoeboxes and holiday wrapping paper.
The cadets exceeded their goal. Cadet LTC Tara Selfe, battalion commander, and Cadet Maj. Trevor Penkwitz, battalion executive officer, delivered the gifts to Social Services Dec. 19. Anne Tyree, assistant director of the agency, accepted the presents on behalf of the department.
The cadets planned the project in early December. They considered numerous projects to assist organizations inside and outside the community. After discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each one, they decided to dedicate their efforts to helping needy children in the community.
“The cadets who participated demonstrated a collective feeling of self-satisfaction in that they all felt that they had identified a community need, came up with a plan to help, and then executed that plan, which contributed to many children having a brighter Christmas in 2011,” said LTC (R) Bob Pyner, senior Army instructor for the JROTC program.
Pyner thanked all the cadets and parents who helped make the service project a success.
