St. Andrew students pay tribute to soldiers
CORAL SPRINGS – St. Andrew Catholic School students acted, sang and danced in a USO concert Dec. 9 to honor U.S. troops. They also collected gifts for soldiers and for Toys for Tots.
“With our servicemen coming home out of Afghanistan and Iraq, we thought this would be a good way to honor them,” said Lynne Lockrey, artistic director of the show, whose parents both served in the military during World War II. “We wanted to put together a regular USO show like Bob Hope took to the troops. The children dressed up as mock movie stars. It was a lot of fun to put together.”
Lockrey’s daughter, Jennifer Lockrey, wrote the show and served as drama and vocal coach. The St. Andrew Catholic School Concert band, directed by Jack Merik, entertained the audience prior to the start of the show. The fourth grade class collected more than a half dozen boxes with gifts for the troops and for Toys for Tots.
The St. Andrew Encore Chamber Players Ensemble started the show with a skit and a medley of songs that honored all five branches of the armed forces. All of the school’s students from first through eighth grade participated in the show by singing Christmas and seasonal songs.
“My favorite scene was when we all stood there and sang the finale ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas,'” said seventh grader Kristen Vollmar. “I also liked that we had an army theme. I thought it was about time they got their proper credit for serving us and keeping us safe.”
