It all started with a box of ducks.
After the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy on December 14, 2012, donations and gifts from around the world poured into the tiny town of Newtown, CT. Amidst snowflakes, teddy bears, monetary donations, and more was a box of small, plastic ducks from a Kiwanis Club in Colorado. Call it fate or good luck, but the new Sandy Hook Elementary School Resource Officers from Monroe’s Police Department just happened to be there when the box was opened. That was just the beginning of The Ducks of Sandy Hook Elementary.
How the Ducks of Sandy Hook Came to Be
The School Resource Officers took the ducks and began placing them around the halls of the new Sandy Hook Elementary School. The students, staff, and parents fell in love with the little ducks and began looking forward to finding them every day. “We’ve easily given out over 2,000 ducks since January 4th,” Officer Todd Keeping said in a phone interview. “The kids now collect them and trade them.” Bringing smiles to the students of Sandy Hook and the community of Newtown has become a mission.
“I don’t ever want to run out of ducks,” Officer Keeping said. To keep that from happening, the officers asked for support from their local union, friends and family. It is no surprise that a Facebook page, The Ducks of Sandy Hook Elementary, soon followed. Quickly growing, the page reached over 3,000 fans this week and they are looking forward to more. Fans have been sending in photos of ducks all over the country and asking how they can help support the cause.
When asked how people could help, Officer Keeping suggested ordering ducks and having them sent to their current storage location. With over 2,500 ducks already donated and students clamoring for more, the duck population in Newtown and Monroe is growing. More importantly, these simple toys are bringing smiles to the children who have had to grow up way too quickly.
Would you like to help by sending ducks to Sandy Hook Elementary School? Donations of ducks can be sent to:
The Ducks of Sandy Hook
3 Sims Lane
Newtown, CT 06470New address as of March 20, 2013:
The Ducks of Sandy Hook
261 S. Main St. Box #312
Newtown, CT 06470
Be sure to “Like” The Ducks of Sandy Hook Elementary on Facebook to see what the ducks have been up to and find out more about how you can help.
Colleen says
Thank You so much for this information!