Above: Sergeant Amy Metcalf helping out at the troop drive this weekend
For the thirteenth time since 2005, Southborough resident Lisa Braccio and friends came together this weekend to help brighten the lives of troops stationed overseas. As the volunteers boxed up care packages for soldiers in Afghanistan, they got help from someone who knows just what it means to receive one of the care packages so far from home.
Sergeant Amy Metcalf of Florida has been a recipient in two of the town’s previous troops drives, and she traveled to Southborough this weekend to say thanks. While they had corresponded off-and-on for several years, it was the first time Braccio and Metcalf had met in person.
In honor of Metcalf’s visit, Braccio planned some special surprises to kick off the troop drive. Awards of recognition were presented, bagpipers played, white doves were released as a sign of peace. And since Metcalf is a Tampa Bay fan, Braccio thought it only appropriate that the New England Patriots End Zone Malitia be there to fire off a salute (and some friendly ribbing).
I took a bunch of photos of the opening ceremony — check them out in the gallery below. You can find another account of the troop drive in this article by the Metrowest Daily News.
