For his Boy Scout Life Project, Alex Bruen thought he’d help out his neighbor Michael Frye.
Part of the difficulty with that is that Frye isn’t exactly home right now. Instead, he is serving overseas in Afghanistan. So Bruen, 15, of West Nyack, thought it’d be a good gesture to collect food, toiletries and candy to send to Frye and his fellow soldiers.
“I thought it’d be nice to help my neighbor out and the battalion while they’re away, send a message out that we care,” Bruen said. “We also have Christmas cards being sent to them.”
On Saturday, Bruen and other scouts from Troop 55 in Blauvelt gathered at the West Nyack Post Office to sort and box all the items they’ve collected since October for his Life Project, titled From Troop To Troops. Bruen said they originally hoped to ship the items out to get there for Thanksgiving, then give the soldiers an after dinner treat, but Superstorm Sandy delayed them.
To show their appreciation, Frye’s wife, Janice, and their son, Colin, 13, came to the West Nyack Post Office Saturday morning to thank the group of about 10 boy scouts.
“It’s touching, it really hit a spot in my heart. I think it’s wonderful that they did this,” Janice Frye said. “We’ve been friends with them for a while, since my son was in the Cub Scouts, and I never expected anyone to take this extra step and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. It’s fabulous.”
The troop collected postage to mail the boxes, as well as donations and money from various organizations, such as the West Nyack Rotary and the Rockland County Marine Corps League. Anna Foldvary-De Sousa, known as the Coupon Queen, donated vitamins, toothpaste, candy and much more.
“They are a great bunch of kids, and for Alex to do this, it’s a big task and he should be really proud of himself, and so should the Boy Scout troop that’s helping him do this,” Janice Frye said. “It’s a big effort, and I know the soldiers are going to love it.”
