“I didn’t know how the scrapbook project would work out,” she confessed. “I thought maybe a couple of hundred pages. Then they started coming in boxes. Then the post office called and said ‘come and get your mail.’ Then the envelope from Blakesburg.”

Originally the project was supposed to be a one-time project, but it has been so successful Connect And Join has decided to continue to collect pages and create scrapbooks for the troops.

Student enthusiasm carried over outside of school into the Christian Church-sponsored Kids Club. One afternoon, the group made Christmas cards for troops overseas and presented them to Dennis for distribution.

Hand lettered messages from the heart: “Thank you for all you do for us,” “Thank you for keeping us safe,” “You are my hero,” and many others along the same vein. Many signed love, and the child’s name.

Sawyer’s mother, Sonni Deevers, was “real surprised, kind of shocked.” His parents, learned “this was in the works about a week and a half ago. It just kept getting bigger and bigger, said Deevers. “It’s great for the school to be recognized this way.”

Lane Anthony has been working with Sawyer since he was six months old.

“He works great with him. They have a great relationship. He cleared his schedule so that he could be with Sawyer all day, “ Deevers said.

Blakesburg students also received new Blakesburg Elementary T-shirts — red for the girls, blue for the boys. Sgt. Major Norris also presented each youngster with a pencil, backpack clip and rubber band bracelet.

 Sheryl Friedman was project coordinator and helped the Blakesburg student council with implementation.