A BEAUTIFUL GESTURE — Pupils and students at John Gregg Elementary School are sharing their holiday spirit by sending messages to military personnel who are serving stateside and abroad through the annual Operation Christmas Card project. Officials say they hope to have the cards sent by early December to ensure all military members receive their gift on time. It is their hope to possibly extend the project and include area nursing home residents on their list as well. Those taking part in the project include from left, Ella Prokopakis, Lydia Byron, Elsie Hashbarger and Kendall Barker. -- Contributed

BERGHOLZ — Pupils at John Gregg Elementary School are spreading some holiday cheer this year. Those in preschool through sixth grade are sending Christmas cards to soldiers serving stateside and abroad, fighting for our freedoms.

Melissa Huggins, a visual impairment aide at the school, is spearheading the annual Operation Christmas Card project, which was first started by former librarian Hannah Boggs.

Huggins said she was inspired to do this because her son, Sgt. Hunter Huggins, is a flight medic in the Army and stationed in Alabama. She took over the project last year, reaching out to school families and seeking an address for active members. Information also was posted on the school’s website.

Approximately 376 pupils are taking part in the project, each adding a personal touch to their card by coloring the exterior. Older pupils are including their own words inside blank cards, while preschoolers and kindergarten pupils sign their names inside to the pre-written message.

Huggins said the activity is a labor of love and she intended to ship the farthest-reaching cards following the Thanksgiving holiday. She will mail cards going to stateside soldiers early this month.

“It’s important to me,” she said. “We’ll send them to 24 different service members. Some are Edison graduates and some are not.”

She explained the mail will reach sites throughout the country, as well as Hawaii, Guam, England, Germany and beyond. Some of the handwritten thoughts expressed hopes for a Merry Christmas. Some showed gratitude for the military members’ service.

“I hope you have a wonderful holiday,” stated one.

“Stay safe. Thank you for protecting me,” another student wrote.

“They enjoy it,” Huggins added. “I held a contest to make it interesting, One kindergarten class made 175 cards in a week. The homeroom with the most cards gets to vote on their reward.”

She hopes to extend the project and spread the holiday spirit to residents who are residing in local nursing homes.

“Some fourth-graders asked if they could take extra cards home to share with their siblings to work on,” Huggins commented. “My goal is if we have enough for the service members, then we’ll do some cards for nursing homes.”