Local Cub Scouts send care packages to soldiers in Afghanistan

Published 4:37 pm Tuesday, January 18, 2011

This past holiday season, Redmond’s Cub Scout Pack 581 has seen to it that at least one platoon of soldiers in Afghanistan did not go without a few presents.

The pack, which is chartered by The Bear Creek School, started Operation Mail Call to support Army Capt. Will Townsend and his Blackhawk and Chinook maintenance platoon. Townsend is the son of George Townsend, a retired lieutenant commander of the Navy and Redmond resident.

At the start of the effort, Pack 581 leaders and George expected that at best, each soldier would get some chocolate and maybe a letter from each scout. But one scout, Alex Marshall, hoping to garner even more items for the troops, went to five of George’s neighbors and asked for care package donations.

In addition to the letters and chocolate, Operation Mail Call resulted in socks, batteries, DVDs, Xbox games, coffee, blank note cards, popcorn and a number of other items to be sent to Afghanistan. A total of 42 care packages were sent.

Pack 581 also received a letter from Capt. Will Townsend. In addition to thanking the scouts for the packages, he also offered them words of encouragement.

“Be proud of the things you accomplish in your community and country,” Townsend wrote. “Each act of kindness you carry out contributes to the greatness of our country, and for that we are all thankful for what you are doing back at home.”

Townsend also wrote that his platoon was able to share the package contents with an additional 100 members of the larger company.