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Top photo: Brownies and Sparks along with Ngaire King (at back) and Pathfinders and Guides (not shown) hold up gifts that they will soon send with well wishes to Canadian troops. Troops like these (show in bottom photo), who are members of one Platoon 2 Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and shown on a reconnaissance patrol near the forward operating base of Zettlemeyer will soon be receiving gifts from this area. Task Force Afghanistan, part of Canada’s contribution to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is about Canadians and their international partners helping Afghans rebuild their lives, families, communities and nation. Canadian operations will work to improve the quality of life of Afghans by providing a secure environment in which Afghan society can recover from over 25 years of conflict. The Canadian Forces contribution in Afghanistan comprises about 2,300 soldiers, most of whom serve with Task Force Afghanistan at Kandahar Airfield and Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City. Additional personnel are assigned to Kabul, various military headquarters, and civilian organizations. Top photo ©Provost News Photo. Bottom photo by Master Corporal Yves Gemus, Task Forces Afghanistan, Operation Athena.
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Girls Sending Gifts to Front Line Canadian Troops
A group of girls in Provost have written letters and purchased a variety of gifts that will soon be sent to Canadian soldiers now fighting with other NATO troops in Afghanistan.
The Girl Guides, Pathfinders, Brownies and Sparks project is an idea of 15 year old Ngaire King of Provost who finished Pathfinders last year and is now a Junior leader.
The girls wrote the letters to 43 troops that will be sent with packages including beef jerky, Christmas fruit cake, socks, body wash, deodorant, toothpaste, cookies, licorice, candy canes, bubble gum, throat lozenges, coupons, books, magazines, newspapers (including copies of this edition so the troops can see a picture of the girls who are sending the gifts) and other items.
Helping out on the project by organizing transportation of the goods, Debbie King says that Highway 13 Transport will truck the shipment from here to Edmonton where Kindersley Transport will take the goods on to Toronto and then Mini Max Transport will take the packages to a military base in Belleville, Ont. The military will likely then airlift the gifts from there to Afghanistan. All three trucking firms are carrying the goods at no charge. It is unknown when the troops will get the packages but it will likely be before Christmas.
Ngaire King told The Provost News in an interview that she thinks the troops will be pleased to have a reminder of home and adds that this shows people care about what the troops are doing. The girls used money that they raised in various activities like working in booths at the Kinsmen Splash and Smash and snowmobile rally in town and also through Girl Guide cookie sales.
King says she got the idea for the project after some veterans from the Edmonton area did a similar shipment.
“The girls were really willing and were interested to do the project.”
Full story in November 8 edition of The Provost News.
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