ESCANABA -- Escanaba's mayor showed his appreciation for the American troops Monday by being the first in line to drop off a Valentine card at a Martin Luther King "Day of Service" event at the Delta Plaza.

The public joined Mayor Gilbert Cheeves in handcrafting special Valentine's greetings for deployed military personnel and service veterans from the U.P.
   
This is the first time a Valentine making event has been held, and Nicole Gearhart, Assistant Program Coordinator, said that it was created as a way to show soldiers appreciation in between Christmas and the Fourth of July.

"This kind of thing will bolster their spirits, I think.  We had a big push around Christmas where people were sending care packages.  But then there's kind of a lull.  Yeah, we're still thinking about you, we do appreciate you," said Gearhart.    

All the Valentines created will be included in special care packages that were sponsored by area businesses and will be sent to arrive in time for Valentine's Day.