STONE LAKE, Wis. - Elementary school students in a small Northland community are answering a call for help from U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

It started when an American soldier in Afghanistan asked for hand warmers in a letter to his Northwestern Wisconsin family. His father–in–law shared that letter with his daughter, a teacher at Stone Lake Elementary School - and she sent a letter home with students asking for hand warmers.

“We can help the soldiers in there because they can get really cold hands and they might not feel comfortable," said fifth-grader Brandon Frost.

Fifth-grader Abbie Mitiku agreed: “They protect us very well and they keep us free. I'm glad that we're helping them; it has this warm fuzzy felling inside of me.”

Two weeks ago the school had 55 hand warmers. Now they have more than 1,000 hand and foot warmers.

“People just give from their heart and people know this is a great cause and they just want to be part of it,” said fourth and fifth-grade teacher Charity Brabec.

She said she hopes collecting hand warmers teaches her students responsibility and respect.

“It instills in them that even the smallest act can make a big difference in somebody's life,” Brabec said.

The hand warmers are sent to Minnesota National Guard Sgt. Mike Turnipseed, who is stationed in Mazari Sharif, Afghanistan. He is the same man who wrote the letter that kick-started the effort.

Turnipseed says many Afghani soldiers have never seen a hand warmer.

“They don't all necessarily have the gloves and the winter clothing that we all have as common place. So they think it's the coolest thing ever,” he said.

“Our school always pulls together. Whenever we do anything, everybody always goes above and beyond, so we have a great school and a great community,” Brabec said.

To donate hand or foot warmers you can bring them to the Washburn County Clerk's Office or the Washburn County Veteran’s Services Office.