Backpack 4 Kids

Wednesday, October 3rd 2007, 10:23 am

By: News On 6

Oklahomaâ€™s 45th Infantry Brigade will begin a deployment of about 2,200 troops to Iraq later this month. That will result in months of families being separated. A Muskogee 4-H student believes she has a solution to help the families of the soldiers to stay connected. News On 6 reporter Rick Wells reports Whitney Woods needs lots of help and in a hurry.

Whitney Woods is a 16-year-old 4-H student from Muskogee. On Wednesday, the News On 6 caught up with Whitney heading back to the barn at the Tulsa State Fair with her goat Charlie. She is showing Charlie at the state fair this year, and they have been to the animal beauty shop getting Charlie clipped and cleaned up.

â€They want him to be wide over the top and have a lot of muscle," says Whitney Woods.

Whitney went over the finer points of goat judging for me, but what I really wanted to talk to her about is a 4-H project she is working on.

"We're gonna get a backpack for kids whose parents are going overseas. Things we need to have, post cards, pencils and pens. So they can keep in contact with their parent," says Whitney Woods.

Whitney has found out it will be about 1,000 kids and that translates into 1,000 backpacks. The backpacks would be filled with as much other stuff that is appropriate to the project as they can get together.

"I can't imagine what it would be like to for a parent to be deployed for a whole year and for a whole year not having one of your parents," says Whitney Woods.

So Whitney Woods wants to do something for those kids. Her aunt Kim Howerton is in the Oklahoma Air National Guard and she is the inspiration for the project.

"For her to want to do something to help military people because of me makes me know she's appreciated what I'm doing," says Kim Howerton.

Well meaning and well motivated, but running out of time because the National Guard deployment is scheduled in about two weeks.

Whitney Woods will be setup Thursday at the National Guard booth at the Tulsa State Fair. The booth is located on the west end of the midway.

Whitney Woods still needs supplies or money to buy them. If you would like to help you can contact Whitney Woods by e-mail at backpacks4kids@yahoo.comor by regular mail at

Backpacks 4 Kids

P.O. Box 422

Muskogee, Oklahoma 74403

Watch the video: A Green Country Teen Reaches Out To Military Kids