HOTEVILLA, Ariz. - Hopi and Tewa military personnel are going to get a special Valentine's package from their home reservation filled with Hopi snack food, cards, letters, art work and playing cards as the 2008-2009 Miss Hopi Kiara Pahovama, and First Attendant Jody Timms spent the last couple of weeks gathering donations from various Hopi agencies around the reservation to send this special Valentine's Day.

The idea was to send each of the current active duty service personnel who are Hopi or Tewa a special remembrance package that contained hooma (white corn meal), kutuki (parched corn), playing cards and phone cards along with healthy snacks and letters and cards from their families and relatives.

What Pahovama and Timms didn't know, however, was the support and outpouring of gifts that were going to come in to assist with their project.

One unexpected gift came from a Hopi Headstart classroom that donated hooma and Hopi art that was created by the students themselves for each serviceman.

Headstart teacher Loes Kaursgowva brought some of her students to the Veteran's Outreach Office to personally deliver their contributions through Clark Tenakhongva, an outreach counselor at the Vet's Office, as well as to sing some special songs to Miss Hopi and her first attendant.

Pahovama and Timms said that they were very proud of the students who wanted to participate and contribute to their project and sent special thanks to their parents for helping to donate to their cause.

Miss Hopi chaperone-sponsors, Carrie Onsae and Lisa Lomavaya, were pleased as well with the generous donations given from around the reservation.

Onsae said that there were enough donations to send 46 packages out in this first round of gifts to military personnel.

According to outreach counselor Tenkahongva, there are 65 Hopi-Tewa military in active duty right now, but only 46 of those military families have contacted the Miss Hopi committee to give their names and addresses of where they can be contacted.

The families of the Hopi military are being asked to contact Onsae and Lomavaya at (928) 530-5306 so that their active duty family members can recieve a special package from home. They may also contact the Veterans Outreach office at (928) 734-5166.

If you are interested in having Miss Hopi appear at your event, you may contact Carrie Onsae at (928) 530-5306 to schedule a guest appearance or presentation.