Mariners students keep aiding military members

Students at Mariners Christian School in Costa Mesa are continuing fundraising efforts to help members of the military deployed a half a world away feel a little closer to home.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Mariners students will send boxes containing items like Chap Stick, hand lotion, eye drops, candy and magazines to the crew of the USS Harry S. Truman, which is in the Middle East.

They began raising funds last year and around Christmas mailed $12,000 worth of phone cards and personal notes to the crew.

The school adopted the USS Harry S. Truman after Jon Weissberg, a former Mariners student, was deployed to the aircraft carrier.

“They have been so excited to receive the phone cards, and to see their gratitude has been heartwarming,” Weissberg said. “For some, these calling cards represent the first opportunity to call home in almost six months.”

To show their gratitude, the crew flew a banner that read “Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVG) Appreciates Mariners Christian School.”

— Hannah Fry

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN