Kids show support for U.S. troops

There were about 500 children at the parade.
WARREN -- Hundreds of paper American flags adorn the inside of Warren West Community Center before being sent to U.S. troops still in Iraq.
Children of the Trumbull County Head Start program made the flags with the help of their families. They were showcased on Monday, part of the Trumbull Community Action Program's Support Our Troops Day.
What started out as a TCAP Character Learning at Home project soon developed into the Support Our Troops program. The program helped put on the morning event, featuring a children's parade on the street in front of the Community Center, a balloon launch and games.
Support Our Troops Day was held in conjunction with the first Children Helping Children event. The Head Start children and their families have contributed donations to help children in Iraq who have been affected by the war.
'Wonderful event'
"It's a wonderful event. The community has come out so beautifully and our families have done such a wonderful job," said Valerie Wilkins, TCAP's mental health coordinator and chairwoman of the event.
Wilkins added that the entire agency was involved in Support Our Troops Day. More than 200 people are part of the agency, in addition to the estimated 500 children at the parade and the 1,100 children involved in Trumbull County's Head Start Program.
Representatives from all branches of the military attended and marched in the parade. Members of the military spoke to the crowd, comprised mostly of children, about patriotism and the pledge of allegiance.