Dear Parents,

We received the following appeal from a soldier who's serving in Tikrit, Iraq, regarding the Kids for Kids program. Other parents we mentioned it to expressed interest, so we thought we would give everyone the opportunity to help put together a friendship package from the children of Melrose Montessori School to the children of Tikrit. Do not feel any obligation to participate, but if you are interested, here is the appeal:

If you have children, the next time you go to the store and buy your child school supplies (crayons, colored paper, pens and pencils, markers, any inexpensive preschool learning toy (not American numbers or letters but shapes or articulated toys), glue, scissors, metric rulers, sports equipment (new or used!) chalk etc.) ask your child to pick out an item or two for an Iraqi child.

If possible, have your child draw a simple picture of friendship and send it here to a child in Tikrit. We'll make sure they get it. Even better, take a snapshot of your child smiling with his/her right hand over his/her heart (left hand is an insult here) and enclose it. This is a common greeting here meaning "God is with you."

Simple school supplies, chalkboards or even working, older computers would be a windfall here. Dominoes and checkers board games are big here. PLEASE no war related toys or toys like "Operation" showing naked men! Iraq has no tolerance for such items but it also has no manufacturing and yearns for western luxuries. Just consider, luxury to an Iraqi child is a soccer ball! The luxury of toys for children is virtually unknown here.

If your donation is of significant weight, please also donate a dollar or two to help with shipping. There will be a box at school until Friday, May 28. Thank you for helping foster good will between our countries.

Sincerely,

Bruce and Jessica Lewis