Small pieces of hard candy may brighten a soldier’s day from the efforts of students and faculty at Discovery Middle School.

Discovery Art Club members Danielle Warren, center front, and Grace Marshburn, back from left, Courtney Bratt and Brenna Kilpatrick show soldiers' photos that advertised their Life Savers drive.

The Discovery population donated Life Savers to send to troops who are serving overseas.

“Having a son and a brother serving overseas brought some attention to what soldiers need overseas — even if it was a small food item as Life Savers,” art teacher Raquel V. Spiegel said. “The art club members shared their stories about relatives also in the military serving overseas, and we decided on Life Savers.”

Life Savers symbolize “energy or a mini-meal for those moments that a soldier can’t get to their eating locations because they might be on patrol or on a long-distance mission from home base,” Spiegel said. Also, the gesture lets military personnel know that Discovery youth are remembering them and want to give a helping hand from a distance.

Art students advertised their candy drive on Discovery’s website, in daily announcements and with wall posters. In hallways, they exhibited photographs of student’s relatives in the military. Mason Brandhof decorated a candy drop-box in a patriotic theme.

Discovery’s entire study body and faculty supported the Life Savers candy drive. The Art Club led the project, with club president Danielle Warren and members Cassidy Wells, Grace Marshburn, April Turner, Canaan Karr, Courtney Bratt, Amaya Alexander, Brenna Kilpatrick and Preston Adams.

Students collected more than 250 boxes and bags in various flavors. They exceeded their goal of 100 boxes, representing 100 years that Life Savers have been on the market.

Spiegel will ship half of the donated candy to her friend’s son, a medic in the U.S. Army serving in Afghanistan. “He will share the candy with his unit and other locals. The other half of the candy will go to Military Connections Corporation in Pittsburgh, where it is collected for shipment overseas.”