EARLIER this year a teacher at a local primary school invited students and parents to participate in a national project that she considered to be worthwhile and educational for all ages.
With the Centenary of Gallipoli this year, Boyanup Primary School teacher Marion Lewis put forward the suggestion of designing and constructing homemade laundry bags for Australian troops serving overseas.
Ms Lewis said she had been thrilled with the response to date and was most appreciative of the help offered by parents who not only assisted children to paint designs, but also happily donated fabric and money to purchase cord for the bags.
“The idea is to individualise laundry bags so our service personnel can identify theirs from the dozens of others,” she said. “Making and sending these laundry bags to Aussie service men and woman is expressing our gratitude for their service and to show we care.”
The Aussie Hero initiative started in 2012 and included quilts that were sent to soldiers serving at that time in Afghanistan where night temperatures can get as low as -25°C.
“Before we started the bag designing, I read the story ‘Lighthouse Girl’ to the children, tying in the fact she sent messages from service personnel on the convoy assembled at King George Sound in 1914. She did it so their family knew where they were and in return she received letters and cards from them in Egypt,” Ms Lewis said.
On March 26 all the Pre Primary students and their parents painted a 50x30cm fabric panel. Early in term two several adults will assemble at Boyanup Primary School to complete the bags, which will then be sent over to the coordinator in New South Wales, who arranges distribution to the service personnel.
Ms Lewis said the children understand that this is giving to others and their laundry bags will be works of art and also works from the heart.
