Middle School Student Cheers Up Troops This Holiday

Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: James May, 7th Grade,

Accomplishment:

This seventh-grader from Westwood lifted the spirits of our troops this holiday season. After making 30 cards for armed forces last year around the holidays, James May decided he'd expand his collection to include his peers' cards and letters as well. He put large boxes in both Westwood Middle School and Berkley School, asking fellow students to make holiday letters to uplift the troops. James' collection ran the week following Thanksgiving break through December 12. He continued receiving letters from students through December 19. James also walked with his mother to delivered the extra letters that came in after the deadline to the Veterans' home in Paramus the week before Christmas.

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness:

James joined a voluntary youth group for school kids who want to give back to their communities at St. Andrew's Church this fall. In addition to receiving from the middle school and Berkely, James also asked his peers at St. Andrew's to make cards for his collection. He collected a lot of letters from the CCD children and had the support of the church. James is interested in enlisting in the military when he grows up.

Q&A with James:

• What made you want to collect letters for troops?

I want to go to the war and I just wanted to make them happy this holiday so I wanted to give them a lot of cards. Last year I made 30 cards for them and I look up to them. I wanted to give them something around the holidays. Last year I did it myself for the first year. And I wanted to make it bigger this year.

• What did you do with the cards and letters after you collected them?

We shipped in the first round after December 12 to Walter Reid to get to the hospital. We were still getting cards until the 19th so my mom and I brought the rest to the Veterans' home in Paramus.

• What did you do to tell people about your card collection?

I made a box with wrapping paper and flyers.

• About how many letters did you collect?

I collected about 451 letters from my school [Westwood Regional Middle School] and Berkley.

• How many were you hoping to collect?

I wanted to get 500. I'm doing it again next year. I want to do it every year.