This article originally appeared in the winter 2014 Harker Quarterly.

Halloween took on new meaning this year for grade 8 students in Cyrus Merrill’s history class, who donated care packages filled with thank you letters and candy to American troops stationed around the world, including in Afghanistan.

Last year when Merrill and his students launched the project, they were thrilled to receive responses from some of the soldiers.

This year, the care packages once again included nut-free candy sealed in Ziploc bags, packaged along with a “thank you for serving” letter addressed to “Any American Soldier.”

“The packages were sent to U.S. troops stationed around the globe. The candy served as either treats for soldiers or for them to hand out to children living around where they are stationed,” said Merrill.

The timing of the note writing also made it possible for students to reflect on and inform the soldiers about their recent grade 8 trip to Washington, D.C., and their often newfound passion and interest in the American government.