Operation Gratitude: Letters And Shipments

To Troops From Cub Scout Pack 270

Cub Scout Pack 270 wrote letters of gratitude and collected 260 pounds of toothbrushes, toothpaste, candy, Wii games, socks, energy bars, handy wet wipes, and other items to ship to American troops serving abroad.

Several community members helped out with the shipping of the items, and one man, Samuel Mihailoff of Sandy Hook, paid the $60 shipping charges on the heaviest box as he was standing in line behind Scoutmaster John Boccuzzi when it was discovered how much the shipping would be. Mr Mihailoff donated another $20 to the Pack, asking that Mr Boccuzzi do something nice for the boys, saying sampling, “They earned it.”

Mr Boccuzzi was in turn pleased with his group’s efforts.

“I am very proud of the Cub Scouts in Pack 270 for working so hard on their letters to the solders serving overseas and for collecting so many wonderful things to send them,” said the Scoutmaster. “I also want to mention how touched I was by Mr Mihailoff’s generous, and more importantly unsolicited, contribution to pay the postage for one of the boxes we were sending. Samuel’s kind gesture was a wonderful example of what a community can accomplish when working together on one common goal.”

A second person who was in line at the post office behind Mr Boccuzzi covered the rest of the shipping costs. The man, who asked to remain anonymous, told Mr Boccuzzi that he was a Scout when he was younger and knew the value of doing a good deed.

Several area dentists donated toothbrushes and toothpaste to the scouts, including Dr Joshua Baum of Newtown, Dr Ken SanGiacomo of Gentle Dental in Bethel, Dr Richard Fisher of Brookfield, and Dr Stephen Stirbl of Southbury.

In addition to sending items to those who are in the military, boys in the pack also joined members of Newtown Lions Club to clear and mark one full trail at Orchard Hill Park on Huntington Road.

The boys raked leaves, cleared debris, and painted trail marks, all in working toward their Leave No Trace Award.

Pack 270 is based at Middle Gate School, and recruited 29 new Cub Scouts this year for a total of 62 active Cub Scouts in nine dens.