Weston Supports Troops in Afghanistan

Thanks to the generosity of local area residents and businesses, Lyn Milliman, Jane Young-Anglim and Karen DeMartine, in conjunction with Weston Supports the Troops, and Weston Intermediate School PTO, collected and shipped more than a thousand pounds of candy to U.S. soldiers deployed in Afghanistan.

“The outpouring of support for the troops from Weston and the surrounding communities was overwhelming,” said DeMartine, who volunteers for Weston Supports the Troops. “So much candy was donated that the cable repairman at my house thought I was in the candy business.”

Yet the generosity didn’t stop there. People also gave money to help with shipping costs, and the manager of a shipping supplies business donated boxes as soon as she found out where they were going. Weston Supports the Troops student volunteer Amanda Gautier picked up candy donations almost every day for two weeks from the drop-off bins at the town library and Weston Intermediate School. Friends and family helped with the sorting and packaging of candy as well.

“The amount of candy we received is mind-blowing. All of the barracks have a couple of boxes each," wrote LT Ray Vetter, a graduate of Norwalk High School and the United States Military Academy at West Point who is currently serving at a U.S. Army command outpost in Afghanistan in an email. "There is still a lot of candy left, and we will bring it with us on patrol. When we visit local villages, we normally bring some type of humanitarian aid. The kids there always want to interact and play with the soldiers. Now we will be able to pass out candy, and the children will love it.”

The organizers would like to thank all those who contributed to the candy drive. 

“It really means a lot to soldiers and their families that people here at home are thinking about them,” DeMartine said.