The girls in Wareham Brownie Troop 138 have met a boy that they are never going to forget. Their mothers are never going to forget him, either. Chances are every time they think about him their eyes are going to tear up.    Dylan DeSilva, who lives in Brewster, came to do a special project with the Brownies May 1 at the Gleason Family YMCA. Along with the Brownies, their moms, and his own mom Michelle, 15-year-old Dylan helped prepare gift boxes to be sent to troops in Iraq. The gift boxes, intended for female troops, were filled with more then 20 items, including feminine items not available in Iraq, candies that won’t melt in 130 degree temperatures, pens, stationery, and boxes of Girl Scout cookies.    For the Brownies, the gift boxes represented a project they’ve been planning since September. When a shipment of long-awaited Girl Scout Cookies arrived, the Brownies set their plan in motion, selling cookies to raise funds for the gift packages.     "You should have seen them," Troop Leader Christine Sprague said as she glanced at the Brownies earnestly filling gift boxes.    Reminiscing about the Brownies’ cookie-selling efforts she added, "People will remember them. They kept saying, if you don’t want cookies, please send cookies to our troops in Iraq." Many responded to the Brownies’ pleas. Boxes of cookies, waiting to be sent to troops, were mounded on a table at the YMCA.     For Dylan, founder of Cape Cod Cares for the Troops, the boxes were among more than 3,100 that he has helped to send to Iraq’s troops. On average each box weighs 30 – 40 pounds. In addition, Cape Cod Cares also sends supplies to schools, orphanages, and medical and dental clinics in Iraq and Afghanistan.     "He’s proof that one person can make a difference," Michelle said. "If (the Brownies) get one thing out of this, I hope they learn they can make a difference."     Since Dylan began Cape Cod Cares for the Troops, at the age of 12, he has raised $20,000 in funds and received approximately $100,000 donated items. He’s also accumulated four, lovingly kept scrap books filled with thank you notes, letters, and pictures sent to him by grateful troops. Dylan estimates that 75 percent of those who receive packages respond with letters and/or pictures.     Turning the pages of the scrapbooks, mothers fought back tears as daughters packaged gift boxes.    Dylan was a member of Brewster’s Boy Scout Troop 77 when he first became involved in sending care packages to troops. The packages were sent from Otis Air Base and, quite by accident, one of the beneficiaries in Iraq was a former member of Troop 77. When he came home on leave he visited Troop 77. The stories he told and the appreciation he expressed inspired Dylan to set his project in motion.     "Troops started sending names of guys who didn’t get mail. We keep getting more names. We have a waiting list now of 600 names," Dylan said.     As Dylan worked with the Wareham Brownies, Sprague talked about how excited the girls have been about the project.     "Look at what they are learning. Look at what they are getting. It’s the domino affect. One day someone will do something nice for them," Christine said.      More information about Cape Cod Cares for the Troops can be found at capecod4thetroops.com

Link here to see N.E.C.N. video coverage
March 27, 2008

Chatham, MA. Girl Scout Troop
presented Dylan with Care Package items 
Saturday March 8, 2008