Operation Shoebox merges pageant, second graders and the military - By Michelle Libby

Aileen Pelletier’s second grade class collected 234 pieces of candy from Halloween candy and with some parent and teacher donations sent candy to troops overseas. 

The idea for sending the candy and the organization for the project came from Ali Wintle, a high school student who is involved in the pageant world. Her pageant platform is GIVE (Get Involved in Volunteer Efforts), which promotes and encourages the importance of giving back to the community and taking time to volunteer, Wintle told Pelletier. 

Last year Wintle did projects with Gail Small’s second grade classroom and Donna Morton’s fourth grade class. 

“I talked about the importance of volunteering and giving back.  I spoke about my own personal experiences with volunteering, asked about their experiences and also discussed different ways that they can find various organizations that they might want to help out. We also worked on a volunteer project together,” Wintle told Pelletier in a letter. 

Pelletier gave her the guideline to do something that involved the military.

“I thought it tied in nicely with Halloween and Veteran’s Day,” Pelletier said.