Students’ help for troops no drop in the pool

The Edison High School swim and dive teams are about to make life in Afghanistan a little easier for a group of American soldiers.

When senior swim-team member Chase Fedderson heard his uncle, Sgt. 1st Class Matt Ferguson, was low on supplies in a small mountain town in Afghanistan, he decided to get involved.

Every year, Athletic Director Bruce Belcher encourages Edison’s teams to participate in a service project. Chase saw his uncle’s plight in Afghanistan as an opportunity to make a difference.

Ferguson, an interrogator, and the four men and one woman stationed with him are not near a military base, which makes it difficult for them to get supplies. The group lives near an orphanage in an area of the country where 6-feet snow drifts are common.

“I got this idea we could send supplies to the troops to make life a little nicer for them, but we could also send supplies to the kids [in the orphanage],” Chase, 17, said. “It’s indirectly protecting all the soldiers over there ? because it establishes more trust between them and the kids.”

Fedderson approached his teammates about getting together some items from Ferguson’s wish list and sending them to Afghanistan.

“We came up with a list and a lot of people, instead of just bringing one thing, brought multiple items,” said Marlene Fedderson, Chase’s mom.

In February, members of the swim and dive teams began bringing in donations ? both money and goods ? to the locker rooms, and Chase would lug them home for storage. Students brought in food, toiletries, magazines, newspapers, jump ropes and school supplies, to name a few.

Each team member also wrote multiple letters to the soldiers.

“Chase and I read through the letters to make sure they were all appropriate, and not one had to be pulled out,” Marlene Fedderson said. “I was crying when I was reading this because ? it gives you a completely different perspective about the kid.”

The soldiers will each receive about 25 cards expressing the students’ gratitude for their bravery.

“This thing that Chase and the swim-team program did was a great thing regardless of what you feel about the war,” Belcher said. “There are people there and we have to let them know we care about them.”

Sophomore Jamie Bee, 16, said some of the girls got together to put a special package together for the one woman stationed with the troops.

“We had a lot more girl stuff ? soaps that smelled like roses and stuff like that,” Bee said. “We made sure she had what she needed.”

The soldiers should be receiving the items any day now. The students mailed the packages ? shipping cost $600 ? on March 13 and were told it could take up to four weeks to arrive.

Chase said he told his uncle what to expect.

“He’s super-appreciative, all of them over there are, and I know they’re looking forward to getting supplies,” Chase said. “It’s hard out there.”

Chase said the service project brought team members together. Apparently it’s been working: The swim team is undefeated.

“It was kind of a cool idea, and we were glad to be able to do it,” Chase said. “Seriously, the outcome was insane, and I’m really proud of my whole swim team and the dive team.”hbi.13-edison-students-CPhotoInfoUF1PT1SV20060413ixmdlpnc(LA)Chase Fedderson, left, and Bryn Fedderson, right, making posters for the serviceproject table.