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Kristina and Kailyn Helgeson didn't expect an overwhelming response when they decided to have a Beanie Baby drive at St. Patrick's Elementary school, but they are glad the response is so big.
More than 300 of the stuffed toys were collected on a Monday after a letter went out to the parents of students. Since then, the collection has continued to grow. Kristina estimates that more than 1,000 beanies have made a home in the overflowing four-foot tall box holding the collection.
Kristina, a sixth-grader and Kailyn, a fourth-grader, got the idea of having the drive after hearing a story from their dad, Mike Helgeson, which he relayed from his unit's chaplain.
The story goes that a convoy of U.S. military personnel was heading down a road in Iraq when they were stopped by a little girl standing in the middle of the road. The soldiers talked to her trying to get her to move, but she held her ground.
In an attempt to get her to move, the soldiers offered her a beanie baby. The girl took the offering and then pointed a little ways down the road where an improvised explosive device was located.
Beanie Babies are being collected throughout the country. In neighboring cities of Marshfield and Eau Claire there are also drives, but locally, the only collection is at St. Pat's where donations could be dropped off until May 31 in the front office.
The collected toys will then be given to the Coulee Region chapter of Operation Homefront where they will be packed up, shipped to Iraq and dispersed to the troops.
The program is to help the kids in Iraq understand the kids in America are thinking about them, Cheryl Kondracki, a member of the board directors, said.
"They (the soldiers) hand them out to the kids in Iraq and they are just tickled about getting them."
The sisters agreed it was an important thing to do. "My dad is over there and it saves his guys' lives," Kristina said.
Contact Tony Nelson at 786-6813 or
tony.nelson@lee.net.
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