When Mercer Elementary School fourth-grade students collected more than 90 gallons of candy for troops serving in Afghanistan, they had no idea that their simple gesture of kindness would help save lives.
Christy Bard, a fourth-grade teacher at Mercer, said the candy was shipped to her cousin's unit in Afghanistan.
"The students named the project the 'Sweet Tooth Challenge,'" Bard said.
"We decided that we wanted to make a difference in a very sweet way."
The candy served as a special treat for the soldiers, not so much for eating but more for sharing. Specifically, the soldiers truly enjoyed sharing the candy with the Afghan children who literally danced with delight as they ate the sweet treats, Bard explained. As the soldiers shared their sweet treats with the Afghan youth, they also developed a bond with the children.
This bond is being credited with saving the lives of at least one unit that was stopped by a group of Afghan children as it was passing through their village. The children were attempting to warn the soldiers about a road bomb located about one mile ahead in the soldiers' path.
"I never imagined that boxes of candy would result in soldiers' lives saved," Bard said.
"I am so thankful that my cousin and the other men in the unit were able to return safely to the states after an 11-month tour in Afghanistan."
In gratitude for the candy, the Afghan children made a quilt for the Mercer students. The quilt was recently presented to the fourth grade.
"The quilt will hang in the fourth grade hallway as a reminder of how they made such a sweet difference halfway around the world," Bard said.
"What a great life lesson for the students to learn that it's the little things that can make the biggest difference."
