During the summer American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will receive sixteen recycled 30-gallon oil drums filled with a variety of donated dry goods collected by Oil Drum Art, The Valley Arts Council, several valley schools, and veteran’s clubs.
The initiative is called ​“Drums For Troops” (DFT) and was launched in February to provide GIs with much needed items not available in the Middle East.
Jack Lardis, Greg Karas, and Tracy Mariano delivered the recycled drums to the valley schools for the students to paint with hometown and patriotic themes, write letters, poems, and paint pictures and greeting cards.
When completed the drums will be filled with a variety of donated goods, foods and messages, then turned over to the military during a presentation ceremony that will include over 100 students and teachers, the artists’ families, school staff, the National Guard, a military or high school band, the Connecticut State Troopers, veterans organizations, and donating sponsors.
At the ceremony there will be speakers from the Board of Education, the military, and a member of the Connecticut State Legislation.
The specific speakers are will be confirmed by mid-April.
Each drum will have a decal listing the schools and artists who painted the drum plus another decal listing all those who made a donation for the drums.
The project was created by Jack Lardis, president and founder of Oil Drum Art from Beacon Falls, and members from the Valley Arts Council (VAC) in
Derby. The VAC members are Jill Nichols of Trumbull, Betty Barriga of Seymour, and Tracy Mariano of Naugatuck.
Anyone interested in either donating dry goods or sending $75.00 toward the costs of the project should contact Jack Lardis, DFT Chairman at 203 – 729-0800.
Oil Drum Art from Beacon Falls and The Lower Naugatuck Valley Arts Council from Derby are both 501©3 not-for-profit art organizations.
The schools, art teachers, and artists participating in the Drums For Troops initiative are:
ANSONIA
Julie Criscuolo
Emmett O’Brien Technical High School
Nancy Bennett-Morgenstern
Ansonia High School
BEACON FALLS
Kristine Lengyel
Woodland Regional High School
Oil Drum Art
Artist: Jennifer Recalde
DERBY
Mrs. Marianne Feroce
Derby Middle School
Valley Art Council
Collaboration of members
NAUGATUCK
Mrs. Rose-Ann Chrzanowski
Dr. Steve Koblenski
Naugatuck High School
Ms. Andrea Jakiela
City Hill Middle School
Ms. Janet Sabal
Hillside Middle School
OXFORD
Ms. Jennifer Crooks
Oxford High School
PROSPECT
Ms. Erica Liberatore
Long River Middle School
SEYMOUR
Ms. Lynn Warecke
Seymour High School
Ms. Louellen Pagliaro
Seymour Middle School
SHELTON
Ms. MaryAnn Tyma
Shelton High School
Ms. Susan Weir
Shelton Intermediate School
Mr. Gerald Joyce
Shelton Intermediate School