Two Edisto High School organizations are seeking to brighten up the holidays for the men and woman serving overseas in the military.

The Cordova school's ROTC program recently sent 570 Christmas cards to soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The effort really hit home for student Nikki Drafts. Her brother, Eric Culclasure, is training to serve in the National Guard while her uncle, Frank Wise, just returned home from a tour of duty in Iraq.

"I want to let them know they are appreciated and respected for what they do," Drafts said.

Drafts wrote the most cards of any student in Col. Walt Davis' ROTC classes at Edisto. Davis said students have written more cards to soldiers this year than in the past.

He asked his students to tell the soldiers about themselves and what's happening back home in their cards.

"We try to make it interesting for the soldiers," Davis said.

Davis said some soldiers will later write back to his students.

"They feel a real connection when they get these letters back," Davis said.

One of Davis' ROTC cadets is Quandreya Williams. She is contemplating a career in the military after graduation.

Williams believes the cards let soldiers know "they are in our prayers" this holiday season.

Edisto's Future Farmers of America club is part of a local effort to send packages to a Navy ship stationed outside of Somalia.

Sophomore Robert Crider said he is trying to get all of his classmates involved with the cause.

"Everybody in the club has things they brought in," he said.

Crider's brother, Lance, is one of the sailors on that ship. He said the care packages, "are pretty much the only thing that keeps them going."

Crider said his stepmother, Tammy, started sending packages to sailors after learning more than half of them never receive anything from back home.

"That just broke my heart," Tammy Crider said.

Crider said she sends everything from homemade cookies to magazines to the sailors. She also enlisted the help of local churches, which have donated items for the packages.

"It's been an unbelievable, positive response," she said.

Through the community's efforts, around 80 Navy sailors will receive packages this Christmas.

"There's no way I can let these kids go without knowing somebody cared and somebody is thinking about them," Tammy Crider said.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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