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Students at Calverton Elementary School in Beltsville have spent the past four weeks gathering food to be sent to American soldiers serving in Iraq. The students also collected toys for the soldiers to distribute to Iraqi children.

Students in pre-K through sixth grade participated in the program and collected a total of 286 pounds of gifts. Eight different boxes were shipped to eight separate infantry units.

Students also wrote 445 different letters and drew pictures as well. Every soldier in all eight units will receive a personalized letter.

"I know you're going to miss your families, but be brave… Thank you for protecting our country. Be careful and take care of yourself," third-grader Rachel Mbullu wrote in her letter.

Fifth-grader Godsee Joy wrote, "I appreciate what you do for our country because if you weren't fighting in war, no American citizens would be safe! That includes me! I truly respect the fact that you sacrifice your life just to protect the U.S.A."

Masonic lodge brings gifts to elementary school

Laurel Masonic Lodge 149 delivered holiday gifts to James H. Harrison Elementary School in Laurel on Dec. 9

Lodge member Kawsar Mahmud said the idea for gift donations came when he gave school supplies tothe school at the beginning of the school year.

Mahmud said about 300 gifts worth about $1,500 were given to 270 students.

Lodge senior officer Carl Stahlman said the event was a success.

"Our measure of success was the number of smiles on the kids' faces," he said. "If we're to measure that, we'd be off the charts," he said.

Mahmud said the lodge is considering donating to a middle school or high school next year.

"Next year we will be doing this but it will be on a bigger scale," he said.

Laurel High School graduate returns from Iraq

Army National Guard Sgt. Victoria K. Buckingham, a Laurel High School graduate, has returned to the 290th Military Police Company in Parkville after being deployed to an overseas forward operating base in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Buckingham is a military police member with six years of military service. She is the daughter of Cacilie K. and Gary C. Buckingham of Laurel.

Buckingham graduated from Laurel High School in 1997 and from the Allegany College of Maryland in Cumberland in 2001.

A different type of canned food drive

The College Park Animal Welfare Committee and College Park Animal Control is holding a holiday pet food and supply drive throughout the month of December.

The drive will run until Dec. 31. Residents wishing to donate to the drive can do so at one of five locations.

The drop-off points are My Healthy Pet, located at 9815 Rhode Island Ave., College Park City Hall at 4500 Knox Road, Proteus Bicycles at 9217 Baltimore Ave., Wood's Flowers and Gifts at 9223 Baltimore Ave. and the Greenbelt Co-op Supermarket at 121 Centerway.

The welfare committee is looking for dog food, wet or dry cat food, towels, toys, bedding and cat litter.

Call Abigail Lightning, the College Park animal control officer, at 240-375-3165.

William Wirt students granted wishes

For the second year in a row, some students at William Wirt Middle School in Riverdale had their holiday wishes granted, thanks to the Riverdale Heights/

Riverdale Hills/Crestwood Community Association.

The group ran the Share Our Blessings campaign in which community members and employees at the University of Maryland were paired up with needy children. The school identified 25 children to benefit from the program, association president Marty Newman said.

Each student wrote two wishes, and donors honored them, like requests for MP3 players and skateboards. Students also received clothing.

The gifts were distributed to students at the school on Dec. 13.

"One boy who got a 20-inch bicycle couldn't talk for about 20 minutes," Newman said. "He just stood there, smiling, staring at his bike."

Despite the economic recession, Newman said, participation in the program was so high that the group had to turn away donors because there weren't enough children on the list to pair them with.

"Many people in the community said this is what they do for their Christmas, because many of their children are grown now," she said.

The group also donated $400 to the school to buy uniforms for children who need them, Newman said.

Main Street mural catching the eye of passers-by

Drivers passing by the new TD Bank at 14401 Baltimore Avenue can see an enlarged photo of historic Main Street circa 1940 inside the bank.

Jim McCeney, Laurel Historical Society Board of Directors chairman, said the bank asked for the photo, colorized it, blew it up and put leaves on the trees.

"The photo was originally taken in the dead of winter," he said.

L.J. Humphrey, Laurel TD Bank manager, said the photo has been up since the bank was rebranded to TD Bank from Commerce Bank in early November.

"It's a unique thing but it's more importantly a sign to the community that the community and its history are important," he said.

The photo is viewable all night, even when the bank is closed.