Special delivery changes lives

The care packages have landed.

As reported in the Independent in April, the Edison High School swim and dive teams packed up supplies for six soldiers stationed in a remote part of Afghanistan, away from military bases.

Edison senior Chase Fedderson had received word that his uncle, Sgt. 1st Class Matt Ferguson, and the four men and one woman with him were running out of supplies.

For two weeks, the swim and dive team members brought in items for the soldiers and school supplies for children in a nearby orphanage and school. They also made each of the soldiers about 25 handmade cards. On March 13, the packages were shipped ? at a cost of $600 ? to Afghanistan.

Two weeks later, the Feddersons received an e-mail from Ferguson that the packages had arrived.

“It made me feel really reassured that they got the packages, because there’s a chance something could have happened,” Chase said. “It was really cool to hear the response.”

Ferguson also sent a photo of Afghani children holding up some of the school supplies the Edison students sent.

“Those little kids are just holding those books, and you know you’re contributing to their education and kind of opening up their future by doing something positive,” Chase said. “It’s amazing how something so small can help those kids.”

Chase’s brother, Bryn Fedderson, who helped put the packages together, was touched by the children’s ear-to-ear smiles.

“That was awesome when I saw those pictures,” he said. “They looked so thrilled and looked like they were going to have lots of fun. It made me feel just really good for them.”hbi.25-edison-1-CPhotoInfo3J1R8FVC20060525iyavpknc(LA)An all-girls school where the soldiers distributed books provided by the Edison High School swim and dive teams.