West Islip HS holds first annual book drive for reading material to send to Iraq
The National English Honor Society in West Islip High School began its First Annual Book Drive recently, wanting to send reading material to American soldiers stationed in Iraq, specifically 1-11 C Btry, 1st Platoon, Unit 40435 of Camp Pendleton, which has been in Iraq since June. Boxes placed in the school library and the main office quickly overflowed, so club members placed additional donation boxes in classrooms. Again the response was tremendous, reports club advisor Melissa Russett, with Jennifer Gaylor's 10th graders collecting over 200 books alone. From authors Stephen King to John Steinbeck, over 700 volumes were packaged up "to offer every soldier something to become lost in," says. Russett. A surprise for the society was the number of children's books also donated. More than 200 have since been delivered to Community Housing Innovations in Riverhead, an organization that provides housing to homeless families.
"The success of this book drive is a reflection of the altruistic spirit of the West Islip school community," the club advisor reports, with members having collected, sorted and boxed almost 1,000 copies. "Sometimes, the most profound lessons occur beyond the classroom walls," Russett believes.
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