Simple Gifts For Bosnia

Crayons, shiny stickers, bright hair clips and little toy sports cars are adding a dash of color to the holidays of children in war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Their peers in Coeur d’Alene, Garwood and Spirit Lake have been preparing small care packages to send overseas through the American Red Cross.

The small, red-and-green Friendship Boxes all include some basic essentials: toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, combs and tissues.

Sandy Bunch’s fifth-grade class in Spirit Lake Elementary School put their packages together Thursday.

Student Emmalee Gerstenberg added a troll with fluorescent rainbow-hue hair and a green rubber ball in her package.

“In my mom’s People magazine I saw how all the people are dying over there,” said Emmalee, with a somber look. “I think the kids will really appreciate this, ‘cause I think they’re probably lonesome without their dads and stuff.”

Across a pile of discarded packaging on the floor, Tad Cazier assembled his Friendship Box that included some “Sea Life” stickers and a brown, plastic horse.

“It used to be mine,” he said of the small horse. “I got it when I was 2 years old.”

Tad decided to part with the memento, explaining, “they don’t have anything because some of their parents are dead.”

Carol Hall, chapter manager for the American Red Cross, is collecting boxes from Coeur d’Alene’s two high schools, Bryan Elementary School, Garwood and Spirit Lake elementary schools.

She estimated that she’ll be sending 415 boxes assembled by 555 children to the national Red Cross headquarters. From there, the boxes will go to Bosnia.

The classes will receive a confirmation letter when the boxes arrive, and some kids are hoping for something a little more personal.

The Spirit Lake students included a short letter and their addresses in their boxes. Lisa Fox wrote about her family and explained that she lives in “Spirit Lake, Idaho, by the City Park (United States).”

The students also personalized the packages with school photographs.

“I hope she writes me a letter back,” sang Melissa Curran as she delivered her finished box to the teacher’s desk.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo