Waubonsie junior collecting valentines for soldiers

Amy Berger wants to get a few Valentine's Day cards this year.

Actually, it's more than a few. She's really hoping for 140,000.

No, the Waubonsie Valley High School junior isn't some Paris Hilton-like egomaniac. Far, far from it.

Instead, Amy wants to collect all those cards so she can send at least one to every member of our armed forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to remind them they're in our thoughts.

"I want them to know how inspirational they are," she says, "and how we want them to get home safely."

If that all sounds a little familiar, it's because this is the third time the 17-year-old Naperville resident has spearheaded her Hearts for Heroes campaign -- and it has gotten bigger each time.

To make it work, Amy needs help. That's why she enlisted family, friends and businesses to set up drop-off points at more than a half-dozen spots in Naperville where you can donate cards.

All she asks is that you address any envelopes to "My Hero" and include a few words of encouragement inside the card for the men and women who will receive them half a world away.

Finding her calling

This all started a few years ago when Amy, then 13, was preparing for her bat mitzvah at Congregation Beth Shalom in Naperville.

War was raging in Iraq and Afghanistan and she had spoken to her uncle about his two tours of duty in Vietnam. He told her how important mail call was to everybody in his outfit.

So she created the first Hearts for Heroes campaign and wound up collecting 2,600 cards to share with the troops.

"I thought it would be a one-year thing," she says now.

Last year, when she was preparing to turn Sweet 16, she decided to try again.

"What would be a greater Sweet 16 present than having this project be a huge success and giving the soldiers the reassurance we are standing behind them and are so thankful for everything they do," she said then.

Thanks to some newspaper stories, lots of word-of-mouth and incredible community support, Amy collected 50,000 cards.

This year, our troops still are in harm's way, and Amy is determined to continue her quest to send them a tiny piece of home.

"I'll keep doing it as long as the soldiers are there," she says.

'It's such a joy'

It's not like Amy doesn't already have enough to do.

She celebrated her birthday Monday, and on Thursday took the stage -- her true passion -- in Waubonsie Valley's theater production of "Musical Comedy Murders of 1940."

None of that, however, stopped her mini-marketing campaign to get businesses interested in joining her collection effort and people of all ages revved about providing valentines.

Many area schools are participating, with students from preschool through 12th grade making or signing cards.

Amy will begin collecting them in earnest this weekend and take them to Naper Nuts & Sweets in downtown Naperville, where owner Dominique Martucci long has conducted her own campaign to support our troops.

She calls it Operation Caramel Corn, and each week she makes, packs and sends pounds and pounds of the sweet stuff to American bases in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Once Amy arrives, Martucci will divide those packages in half: one section for the caramel corn in her red, white and blue bags and the other for Amy's valentines.

"We're so proud of her," Martucci says. "It's just such a joy to do this, I can't even explain it. It goes right to the heart."

Amy says they'll continue sending the cards for as long as residents keep turning them in -- even if it goes past Valentine's Day.

She tries to read as many as possible, but her favorites are the ones from youngsters that include drawings and heart-felt notes.

"It's amazing how much the little kids know," she says.

Saying 'thank you'

It's amazing, too, the response the cards and caramel corn generate. Both Amy and Martucci say they receive countless letters and e-mails of thanks from servicemen and women who often include pictures that show their valentine hanging in a tent or wherever else they call home.

Late last year, a high-ranking military man strode into Martucci's Jefferson Avenue store.

"I wish," he said, "I could explain to you how much those cards meant to us."

Neither Amy nor Martucci know for sure where each shipment will wind up, but they are certain it will generate smiles on the other end.

Amy recently received a note from a soldier who was stunned that his valentine was signed by Waubonsie Principal Jim Schmid.

"It turns out the soldier was a Waubonsie alum and he somehow got a card signed by our principal," she says. "He didn't realize that I went to Waubonsie, too."

A message of hope

Amy says she'll probably send about two dozen cards herself this year. She's made a few by hand and bought a few in stores, but all of them will include messages of thanks and encouragement.

She understands that not everybody supports the war, but her effort really isn't about that.

"It's not supposed to be a message about the war," she says. It is supposed to be a positive reminder of home and the sincere hope everyone makes it back safe and sound.

Amy is hoping area residents will help her reinforce that message with 140,000 Valentine's Day cards. It's a monumental goal, but don't bet against her.

"Amy is a special kid," Scmid says. "She's one of those individuals who takes a concept and makes it a reality."

Her project gets all sorts of students involved at different levels, he says, "and it shows one person really can make a difference if you find something you're passionate about."

"To have someone her age setting priorities for what's important … I get goose bumps," Martucci says. "If I had a daughter, I would want her to be like Amy."

FYI

Here's where you can drop your cards:

• Dan Wolf Toyota of Naperville, 1515 W. Ogden Ave.

• Dan Wolf Chevrolet of Naperville, 1550 W. Ogden Ave.

• Ginny's Hallmark stores at 931 W. 75th St., 1283 E. Ogden Ave. and 1212 S. Naper Blvd.

• Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873, 908 Jackson Ave.

• The Ladies Auxiliary, 615 E. Ogden Ave.

• Lexus of Naperville, 2480 Aurora Ave.

• Naper Nuts and Sweets, 10 W. Jefferson Ave.

• Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St.

• U.S. Post Office, 1750 W. Ogden Ave.