Christmas in Kandahar

St. Edmund Campion Grade 10 History Classes support Canadian Troops serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

With the holidays approaching, we once again turn our attention to those in our community who need our help.  This year, we hope to help those who are unable to spend Christmas with their families and loved ones.

The Canadian and World Studies department is organizing an initiative called “Christmas in Kandahar.”  In short, we will be assembling care packages and sending them to the 300-plus Canadian soldiers and support workers in the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team at Camp Nathan Smith in Afghanistan.  The purpose of this initiative is to offer moral support to our Canadians who are unable to come home for Christmas.

We sincerely hope that this initiative is not misconstrued as an attempt to influence our students’ opinions on the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.  Instead, we hope this initiative will increase student awareness of Canadian presence abroad while humanizing Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan.   Too often, they are only acknowledged when one of them is killed.  This initiative will be running concurrently with other collections and drives that serve the less-fortunate of our community.

It has been made clear to students that participation in this collection is voluntary; participation will not be rewarded and abstaining will not be penalized.

Naturally, our troops would appreciate the sentiment behind any gifts and letters they receive from home but the troops would especially appreciate the following items:  magazines of all subject matter, candy, chocolate, and Tim Horton’s coffee tins.  Moreover, Camp Nathan Smith is equipped with a DVD player and a library.  As such, any old novels and DVDs would be welcome.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding “Christmas in Kandahar,” feel free to contact Mr. Cordeiro at (905) 846-7124 Extension: 72199.

For more information on Canada’s presence in Afghanistan, please visit:

www.afghanistan.gc.ca/canada-afghanistan

Sincerely,

Canadian and World Studies Department