Kindergartner rallies Columbia school to support his soldier dad deployed for holidays
A Columbia kindergarten student was sad because his father, a soldier in the U.S. Army, was deployed and would not be home for the holidays.
But 6-year-old Ethan Scott found another way to connect with his dad, Army Specialist Jabari Scott.
The kindergarten student rallied classmates, teachers and staff at Brockman Elementary School to send supplies to his dad and other soldiers deployed in Kuwait, a spokeswoman for Richland One School District said in a news release.
“Ethan is proud of his father’s service as a specialist in the U.S. Army, but he misses him greatly,” Brockman Principal Dr. Heidi Stark said in the news release.
Ethan loves superheroes, especially the Avengers, but his father is his “true hero,” according to the release.
He wanted to do something for his dad and was inspired by the comic book characters, as well as the recent Veteran’s Day celebration at his Richland County school, the release said.
With some help, a plan was created. The “special military mission” involved collecting toiletries and other items for Jabari Scott and his unit, according to the release.
Seven boxes were filled “with toiletries, snacks and heartfelt letters to encourage the soldiers,” the school district said.
But just like in a superhero’s story, there was an obstacle to overcome.
Stark discovered it would cost nearly $300 to ship the boxes abroad, and the school did not have the money, according to the release.
That is where AFLAC stepped in and paid to ship the supplies out around Thanksgiving, the school district said.
“Fortunately, AFLAC agreed to sponsor the project and provided the full cost of the postage to mail the donated items to Specialist Jabari Scott and his unit,” Stark said in the release. “We appreciate their generosity.”
As the supplies were shipped out, Ethan smiled as he saluted his father, giving them both something special celebrate during the holidays.
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 9:05 AM.
