REPUBLISHED from SI Advance.
By Annalise Knudson | aknudson@siadvance.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — As Veteran’s Day approaches, students and staff at PS 56, Rossville, are teaming up with the SSG Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation’s Operation Ollis to send supplies to military overseas.
The school has partnered with the family of Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis — who lost his life at age 24 protecting a Polish soldier from an explosion in 2013 during his third deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan — to thank the military for Veteran’s Day, according to Principal Philip J. Carollo.
Last year, Ollis posthumously received the Distinguished Service Cross, which highlights courageous behavior and bravery against enemy attack, and is the second highest rank — falling right under the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Families are dropping off items to PS 56 to be sent to soldiers overseas, and care kits will be assembled by students and staff so that each kit has a few items needed by a soldier — from Michael Ollis’ favorite snack, beef jerky, to phone cards for soldiers to call home. Students are also making cards and notes for soldiers, as well.
PS 56 is collecting new and unused items through Veteran’s Day, which is Nov. 11.
Those items include:
- Phone cards
- Visa and MasterCard gift cards
- Personal hygiene items: wet wipes, body wipes, disposable razors, deodorant, floss, toothbrushes, feminine products, etc.
- Socks
- Current magazines and books
- Posters and calendars
- Movies, music CDs, iPods, small earphones
- USB devices
- Beef jerky
- Candy (non-perishable), hard candy, breath mints, gum
- New UV protection sunglasses
- Playing cards