valentines flowers him - Sage Branch Library holds "Valentines for Troops" event

valentines flowers him

BAY CITY — Eighteen-month-old Mairiam Tacey used an orange marker to decorate a Valentine’s Day card Wednesday that is headed to some special people: American troops serving overseas.

Her father, Joel Tacey of Bay City was visiting the Sage Branch Library with Mairiam and her brother Remy, 4, to browse children’s books and to take part in the Valentines project.

“Arts and crafts are her favorite activity,” Tacey said. “If you ask, ‘Where’d Mairiam go?’, you can always find her at her drawing table.”

The Bay County Library System kicked off the first of four scheduled “Valentines for Troops” workshops on Wednesday at the Sage library, 100 E. Midland St.

“It’s a really open-ended event — people can drop by anytime during it,” said Krista Pedersen, children’s coordinator for the Bay County Library System. “We supply paper, cut-outs, glitter, stickers and other fun things to create a card or letter to a soldier wishing them a happy Valentine’s Day.”

Valentine’s Day cards are mailed to troops by the nonprofit organization Soldiers’ Angels, which covers the cost of postage.

 “As a library system, we collect all the different Valentines and put them in a big package that is sent to Soldiers’ Angels, who then sends them on to the troops.”

Each year, the library workshops generate more than 200 letters and Valentines for soldiers serving overseas. Pedersen estimated that around 

250 were created at the libraries in 2011.

“A lot of children express thanks and support through their artwork,” Pedersen said. “I have also seen comments that thank the men and women for being heroes. Of course, adults write more in detail about what they are thankful to the troops for.”

Lindsey Russell, senior library assistant, was on hand to help with Wednesday’s workshop. Last year, Russell said 38 people created Valentines at the Sage Branch Library.

“I hope as many — or more — turn up this year to make Valentines,” Russell said.

Here’s a schedule of upcoming dates and locations to create a Valentine:

• Alice & Jack Wirt Public Library, 500 Center Ave., Bay City; 5:30-7:30 p.m. today. Contact: 989-893-9566.

• Auburn Area Branch Library, 235 W. Midland Road, Auburn; 5-7 p.m. Tuesday.  Contact: 989-662-2381.

• Pinconning Branch Library, 218 Kaiser St., Pinconning; 3:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Contact: 989-879-3283.
valentines flowers him