GORE BAY—Students at Charles C. McLean Public School (CC McLean) in Gore Bay are making sure members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) know they are being thought of and supported at Christmastime.
“This year my Grade 3/4 class collected a variety of treats to send a bit of ‘Merry Christmas from Manitoulin’ to five CAF members currently deployed with Operation Impact at Camp Canada, Ali Al Salem Air Base, in Kuwait,” said Heather Jefkins, teacher at CC McLean.
Ms. Jefkins explained, “Grade 3/4 students and their families donated a variety of treats, including cookies, crackers, drink mixes, granola bars, trail mix, and lots of different kinds of treats and candy. In addition, we had support from a variety of local businesses, including Betty’s Convenience Store (candy and treats), Manitoulin Coffee Company (coffee), Elliott’s Sugar Bush (maple syrup) and Craig Jackson Photography (Christmas cards).”
“Finally, we received financial support from current and retired C.C. McLean staff members, community members from across Manitoulin, and a retired United States Navy veteran who calls Manitoulin his second home,” said Ms. Jefkins. “This financial support allowed me to purchase the top up items required to make sure each box contained the same number of items and was full to the brim with goodies to have and to share. In addition to all the treats, Grade 3/4 students created works of art and wrote Christmas cards, and the Grade 7/8 class wrote postcards to go into the boxes.”
Since 2006, “students from my classes at both C.C. McLean Public School and Assiginack Public School have sent boxes to Canadians deployed across the world through Operation Troop Support,” continued Ms. Jefkins. “Boxes of ‘Merry Christmas from Manitoulin’ have been shared with CAF members deployed with the NATO Mission in Afghanistan, the UN Mission in South Sudan, Operation UNIFIER (a training mission to support the Ukraine), Operation IMPACT (in the Middle East), and various Royal Canadian Navy ships in the Mediterranean Sea and other locations across the world.”
Operation Troop Support 2022 represents the 17th year of students, families, community members and local businesses sending ‘smiles across the miles,’ said Ms. Jefkins. “Based on the feedback I receive each year, these boxes provide a morale boost for the army, navy and Air Force members who receive them (and share them with others). This program would not be possible without the generous support of the people of Manitoulin Island.”
