Countywide : Spreading Christmas Cheer Afar

Eight-year-old Krystal Rivas of Placentia sprawled across the wooden floor of the roller-skating rink and drew a soldier saluting a Christmas tree.

Her 4-year-old sister, Stephanie, cautioned a serviceman stationed in the Persian Gulf--in a letter written out by her grandfather--to “be careful and be strong.”

Their 11-year-old uncle, Jonathan Elmendorf of La Habra, wrote, “I hope we don’t have to fight, but if we do, I hope we win and nobody is hurt.”

The letters and drawings were placed in a 45-gallon barrel along with razors, pencils, rubber bands, notebooks and other gifts gathered Friday for U.S. military personnel in the Middle East.

Hoping to bring some Christmas cheer aboard the destroyer O’Brien, stationed in the Persian Gulf, dozens of Orange County children filled the barrel with stocking stuffers and wrote letters to the sailors, who are not expected to make it home for the holidays.

The morale booster was sponsored by the Holiday Skate Center in Orange, which began the letter-writing campaign soon after U.S. troops were deployed to the Middle East in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Every skating-rink patron who arrived at the door with a gift Friday received a free skating pass.

Petty Officer 1st Class Jerry Williams of the Navy recruitment center in Orange was on hand to receive the gifts and letters from the kids.

“I think it’s fantastic. It’s nice to see the young people, the kids, writing letters. Those letters mean a lot to the company on board ship,” he said.

The San Diego-based O’Brien became the roller-skating rink’s “adopted” ship, rink owner Mike Flemming said, when it was randomly picked by the military two months ago to receive approximately 2,000 letters from a previous shipment sponsored by Holiday Skate Center. The letter-writing campaign has since spread across the country to many of the 3,500 rinks that are members of the Roller Skating Assn., he added.

As part of “Operation Roller Mail,” the rink circulated flyers listing gifts that the Navy personnel may need, such as sun block, panty hose for face shields, shaving cream, envelopes and batteries.

Among those bringing gifts were 13-year-old Cindi Beffa, 12-year-old Beverly Rush and 10-year-old Simone Xuereb, all of Tustin, who have friends or pen pals overseas.

“So many people at our school have their moms and dads over there, and it’s nice to help (the military personnel),” Rush said.

“It’s sad they can’t come home for Christmas,” Beffa added.

So Christmas is being sent to them.

That’s what 9-year-old Anthony Sbardellati tried to do with his letter. The missive included a drawing of a Christmas tree with gifts under it.