Canton Repository, Friday, June 29, 2007
BY Benjamin Duer, REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
PERRY TWP. At age 8, Lauren Hogan has served her country.
She organized a collection drive to send 50 care packages to U.S. troops overseas, particularly in the Middle East.
The packages will be shipped this week.
"I wanted to help the soldiers," Lauren said.
Lauren, a student at Whipple Heights School, is the daughter of Lisa Hogan and Brian Hogan.
She'll enter the third grade in the fall.
Brian Hogan, 32, is a sergeant in the Army Reserves, based in Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. He is also a Canton firefighter.
Lauren's father came home this week for 11 days on leave.
"She just wanted to make sure that soldiers got stuff from home," he said. "I think it's great because I know it lifts people's morale big time."
Lauren's mother, Lisa, said her daughter's collection drive began in March enlisting the help of classmates at Whipple Heights to donate various items.
Other donations came from the community.
Donated items included toilet paper, toothpaste, razors, suckers, board games, shampoo, lotion, nonperishable food and candy.
"If you help other people, they'll help you," Lauren said.
Helping out Lauren is Aultman Hospital and the Veteran Connection. The hospital is paying the cost to ship the care packages.
Lauren and her family were presented with tickets to Geauga Lake at the hospital's Sharon Lane Health Information Center by officials.
"There are kids like this and we need to step up and help them," said Rick Mirenzi of the Veteran Connection.
Reach Repository writer Benjamin Duer at (330) 580-8567 or e-mail: benjamin.duer@cantonrep.com
