First- and second-graders at Porters Chapel Academy have made their lists, checked them at least twice, packed their boxes and now are sending a package of cheer to a Vicksburg soldier in Afghanistan.

Their dual focus? Favorite foods and current events.

“…Jeff Gordon won the Daytona 500…the Patriots won the Super Bowl…a man killed the biggest deer ever in Mississippi…” a few of the students wrote.

Students in Kim French’s second-grade and Suzanne Latham’s first-grade classes also collected magazines, crossword puzzles and paper and pens to send to PCA graduate Allen Pugh, a member of the 175th Battalion.

Eight-year-old Haylee Prescott said she tried not to talk too much about Pugh’s home of Vicksburg in her letter.

“We didn’t do none of that because we thought it would make him said,” she said.

Instead, she asked him about the weather.

“Is it cold?” she asked. “It’s cold here – it must be hot up there.”

First-grader Benjamin Booth said he would like to have the sour cream and onion flavored Pringles – mixed in with the pile of items to be sent – if he were away from home.

“I would want the Pringles my friend, Emily, brought,” agreed classmate Vivian O’Neal.

Austin Kraemer, 7, said it’s important for the two classes to send the package because the soldiers in Afghanistan don’t have food.

“We’re sending them lots of candy because they don’t have no food,” he said.

“They probably just get to eat chili,” Haylee added. “Or, cauliflower – yucky.”

Austin said he forgot to bring food to add to the collection, but he brought $5 to send to Pugh.

“They’ll probably have a candy machine – they’ll put a dollar into it,” he said.

Many of the students know Pugh, who graduated from PCA in 2001.

Vivian said she has never met him, but his mother used to teach her Sunday school. Benjamin remembers the soldier from when he used to mow his grass.

“I was a friend with him – he was a nice guy,” he said.

Others are simply sending items to help Pugh and his friends.

“We bought all that stuff so he could share,” Haylee said.

Seven-year-old Hannah Patel believes the box of goodies will help the soldiers stay safe and strong.

“We’re sending things so they can be brave and strong and need to be in their suits – and they got to do stuff,” she said. “And, so they can be safe from the other armies.”

The box, which reads “We love you,” will be sent by members of Open Door Bible Church. Students packed everything in the box Friday morning.