Thorne Middle School Students Send Care Packages To U.S. Troops

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — On Thursday, students at Thorne Middle School packed up 60 boxes to ship to U.S. service troops stationed abroad.

The middle school students did this in memory and honor of Lt. Dennis Zilinski, the Middletown native and U.S. soldier who was killed in the war in Iraq in 2005.

Zilinski was killed by a roadside bomb during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was 23 years old. Zilinski grew up in Middletown; he went to Thorne Middle School and graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, where he competed on the varsity swim team.

From there, he graduated from West Point with distinction and then joined the U.S. Army. His younger brother Matthew also serves in the U.S. Army to this day.

"I went to school here with Dennis; we were classmates," said Thorne teacher Jessica DeLumeau, who helped organize the drive. "It’s an honor for us to do this care package drive each year in remembrance of Dennis. It’s a great way to get the kids involved and to show our appreciation for our military."

Over the month of March, the Thorne students have been collecting items for American service members. The students collected soups, protein and granola bars, chips, cookies, crackers, shaving cream, shampoo, soaps, powdered drink mixes, Pop Tarts and more. Thorne teachers, administrators and parents also participated.

The students spent Thursday morning packing the boxes themselves. New Jersey State Police helped carry the boxes to their patrol cars. The Zilinski family will mail them to U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Zilinki's family, particularly his mother Marion, often work in the Middletown community to keep their son's memory alive — and to remind people what he died for.

“On behalf of all of us at the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund, a giant thank you!" said Marion on Thursday. "We are grateful to all for honoring our son Dennis with this tremendous collection of items which they can’t buy overseas. Our sincere appreciation goes out to the staff at Thorne."

“This is extra special to our family and everyone at The Memorial Fund as Dennis and all of our siblings attended Thorne," said Matthew Zilinski, Dennis' brother who was also present Thursday at the school. "The teachers, students and their families outdid themselves, and we are grateful for their continued support."

In the past, fourth graders at Harmony School wrote cards to send to U.S. troops.

One of the main accomplishments of the Zilinski memorial fund is sponsoring service dogs for disabled American veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. To date, the Zilinski fund has sponsored more than 100 service dogs.

Additionally, the Zilinski fund provides scholarships to students at Lt. Zilinski’s alma mater, Christian Brothers Academy. His parents say they are looking for high school students who embody the leadership qualities and community spirit of Lt. Zilinski.

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Donations may be sent to: Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 124, Adelphia, NJ 07710 or made online at www.RunwithDennis.org email: Runwithdennis@yahoo.com