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Updated: Thursday, 04 Dec 2008, 11:24 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 04 Dec 2008, 4:53 PM EST
Branford (WTNH) - They say it's the season of giving, and that is proving to be true in Branford. One woman says her plea for supplies for Marines overseas is just overwhelming.
Mary Harrington Corriveau flies the Marine flag proudly in front of her Branford home. But what fills her basement right now may be an even greater source of pride.
There are boxes and boxes of donations -- from toiletries to
tube socks -- stuff Mary and her family are preparing to ship to
Marines in Iraq.
"I figured we'd get enough to fill a couple of boxes up,"
Mary said. "We are getting truckloads."
She started the 'Adopt a Marine' campaign at the urging of her principal at the Riverside Education Academy in New Haven. Her son Kenneth is a Marine Sergeant -- recently deployed for his second tour in Iraq. He's also served two tours in Afghanistan.
Initially, Mary sent out a few emails. But the effort grew exponentially. First through her school, then through the Post Office in Bridgeport where her husband works.
"I have Vietnam vets that I work with that adopted guys immediately," Rick Corriveau said. "They said, 'We know exactly what they need, let us take em'...I said, 'Sure.'"
The drive also struck a chord with students at The Cedarhurst School where Mary's younger son Joe works. Many of them wrote letters for the Marines.
"We have, as a family, given up our Christmas. The Christmas tree is empty. [We] donated all our money to this, also for the shipping costs. But it's a lot and we might need a little help," Mary said.
They're planning to give up their weekend to pack everything. They're hoping their efforts will make Christmas a little brighter for those young Marines so far from home.
Just as doing this has made the season brighter for them.
"Rather than staying home and crying that we're not together as a family for the holidays, it's something constructive to do that makes us all feel good," Mary said.
To help with donations and to adopt a Marine, email to:
adoptamarine7@yahoo.com.
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