MAHOMET – Veterans Day sounds more like Thanksgiving this year.

For the third year, Lincoln Trail School in Mahomet has donated food, toiletries and other gifts to Toys for Troops, a care package for overseas soldiers founded by Laura Stewart of Champaign.

"Put one of each in the boxes," Principal Mary Weaver tells them.

This year, all the pupils added letters, and there is a common theme: Thank you.

Fifth-grader Caroline Tee wrote the soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen to tell them thanks for allowing her to play outside without fear of terrorists.

Third-grader Jack McHale wrote that he's thankful for the men and women who are serving our country, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Lincoln Trail community contributed hundreds of items – from wet wipes to popcorn balls to DVDs – as well as raising money for postage.

Stewart and Lincoln Trail teacher Carolyn Williams have now worked together for three years. On Monday, pupils were stuffing packages in a tiny room off the cafeteria.

They're celebrating our nation's veterans, with about 300 expected to show at a public ceremony at 10 a.m. today at the State Street school.

The next day, Stewart will cart hundreds of packages to the post office. Donations from the Lincoln Trail community will defray much of the postage costs, which have been a challenge for Toys For Troops.

More than 2,000 items have been donated to the soldiers on the list for their Thanksgiving care packages. Stewart organized the Toys for Troops effort, originally using a plush toy theme, after her soldier son, Brian Jolley, was sent on his first deployment to Iraq.

She has since amended the gift lists for Christmas and Thanksgiving mailings to include department store and restaurant gift cards, games, gourmet treats and other gifts, and the list is now limited only by the donor's imagination.

Williams got involved in the effort two years ago, when Lincoln Trail students collected 2,100 plush baby toys. Last year, the school donated Thanksgiving treats.

"When we do (the packing) on Veterans Day, the kids have a purpose and a goal. We have veterans over who give them a good sense of why they're doing this; it's a double reward, for the troops and the pupils," Williams said.

Toys for Troops will still be responsible for much of the cost of shipping the Thanksgiving boxes next Wednesday, a cost that will total between $900 and $1,000, Stewart estimated.

The cost of shipping one box is $11.95.

If you'd like to sponsor the cost of shipping a box to a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, click on the PayPal donation button at www.toys-for-troops.com.

Or you can send a check for $11.95 to Toys for Troops, 1123 Lancaster Drive, Champaign, IL 61821.

Donations are tax-deductible.

How to send cards to troops

CHAMPAIGN – The local American Red Cross is asking residents to spread holiday cheer to military service members, veterans and their families.

Through Dec. 7, Holiday Mail for Heroes, a joint effort by the Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, enables the public to send a supportive message to members of our U.S. Armed Forces, veterans and their families.

"It's a great way to express support for those men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country," said Harley Jones, who directs emergency services at the Red Cross Central Illinois Chapter.

The public can send cards to a special post office box. American Red Cross volunteers will help sort, process and send cards to the military.

To participate:

Get a greeting card. Participants are encouraged to send holiday-neutral cards rather than religious-themed cards. Only cards are accepted, not letters.

Limit the number of cards to 15 from any one person or 50 from any one class, business or group. If you are mailing a large quantity, please bundle cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.

Write a general, supportive message inside the card. The first line should read, "Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran."

Cards addressed to specific individuals cannot be delivered through this program.

Sign your card. Please do not include e-mail or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.

Postmark your card no later than Dec. 7 and send it to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Cards will only be accepted at P.O. Box 5456, so they can be screened for hazardous materials.