"It all started last fall...when Dylan [DeSilva] and the others in his Boy Scout troop decided to send a package to Jared Farris, the son of one of his troop leaders, who was serving in Iraq. When Jared came back, he met with the Scouts to thank them for the package, and at that point, Dylan decided he was going to send Christmas packages to the soldiers. He [and his 3 siblings] spent the money they were going to use to buy Christmas presents on preparing six Christmas packages for soldiers.

Soldiers in Iraq send him the names of soldiers they know who never get letters or boxes from home so he can send them one. He's got plans to send out a lot of Christmas packages, and if anyone sends him a letter or e-mail with the name of a soldier, he puts that name down on the waiting list."

To date Dylan has sent more than 500 care packages to soldiers in Iraq, as well as over a dozen care packages to orphanages and schools in Iraq.

Tonight (Saturday, Oct. 8) he will be honored at a surprise dinner in his honor at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in Provincetown,MA.

State Sen. Rob O'Leary will present Dylan a citation from the Senate. He will also receive plaques and presentations from representatives of the VFW, VFW Ladies Auxiliary and the US Marine Corps Reserve.

From The Cape Codder

¶ Saturday, October 08, 2005